As Long As The Raven Flies
by Morinya
Summary: AU: When seven year old Harry Potter ends up at an orphanage in 1933 he isn't going to complain. Starting a life without Dursleys around sounds perfect to the child and meeting Tom, a boy just like him, only makes it that much better. Time Travel, Dark, No Slash.
1. When Sorrow Sang

**As Long As The Raven Flies**

**Warnings:** Time-travel. Dark/Cunning Harry. Neville as the boy-who-lived. This story will **not** be Slash.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry Potter universe. Everything you recognise belongs to J.K. Rowling.

**A/N:** I've had this idea in my head for years and even started writing the first chapter a couple of years ago but never finished it. I have an outline of what is going to happen in each chapter but I do not have hours to write each day so updates won't be super-fast. The first chapter is going to be cliché, I can't help it so bear with me. This is my first Harry Potter fic, since my native tongue isn't English and I don't have a beta yet I apologise for grammar or spelling mistakes. If you're interested in beta-ing feel free to send me a private message.

* * *

_Prologue_

_1981_

October 31 was a day of celebrations and mourning for the Wizarding world. It was the day that Light prevailed over Dark. It was also the day Neville Longbottom was proclaimed saviour of the Wizarding world and the day the Dark Lord fell.

It was supposed to be a day that announced a new age for the Wizarding world, the end of an era of bloodshed and grieve.

The Dark Lord's fall was cause for joy and celebrations all over Britain but while some were celebrating others were desperately trying to escape the prosecution they would certainly face if they stayed around any longer.

The Dementors of Azkaban would forever remember the days that followed for it was a rare occurrence that they received so many new residents to feast on.

To ensure peace and prosperity in the future those suspected of associating with the losing side were called in and questioned. Often leading to a one-way ticket to Azkaban or even death if they made the mistake of struggling.

Mothers cried when their children were dragged off, pleading to take them instead of their precious offspring. Fathers blamed themselves when they saw the lifeless corpses of their progeny, slaughtered as if they were worthless cattle instead of the future.

Siblings bade farewell knowing they would probably never see each other again in this lifetime. Hoping at least one of them would survive to continue the family line.

Children looked on with wide eyes as they dragged their parents out of the house, not understanding that they would never come back.

Some had lost all hope and prepared for their final stand. In the years to come they would still whisper that Evan Rosier had died with a smile on his lips, welcoming death with open arms.

But while some were crying out of joy and others out of fear of what was to come a small babe was lying silently on the doorstep of a plain looking house in Little Whinging, Surrey.

The little boy had been left there in the dark of the night by an elderly man and women as if he was nothing more than the empty bottles of milk which lay next to him waiting for the milkman to take away.

In his small chubby hands he was holding a letter explaining the circumstances of his parents deaths a couple days earlier.

And so on October the 31st the Wizarding world heralded one child as the next Merlin while another was left on the doorstep of a family who wanted nothing to do with his kind.

* * *

Chapter One

_**When Sorrow Sang**_

Seven-year-old Harry Potter sat on an old cot in his cupboard at number four Privet Drive. It was dark and he could barely see anything but Harry knew the cupboard well enough not to hurt himself. He had been locked in his cupboard for the last two days and only let out three times a day to use the loo.

His relatives had not allowed him to eat anything but a slice of stale bread and he was starting to become really hungry, he kept quiet about that though. He had learned early on that if he stayed quiet his aunt would let him out of the cupboard sooner than when he tried to complain.

He hoped they wouldn't forget him this time though, his relatives would never admit it but he was sure it had happened before because one time they didn't even let him use the loo for a whole day.

The little boy wasn't sure why they had locked him up this time, as far as he knew he hadn't done anything wrong. Asking his aunt or uncle probably wasn't a good idea either. Knowing them they would yell and keep him locked up for a couple more days.

Little Harry had been living with his aunt and uncle for as long as he could remember. They had a son, Dudley, who was the same age as him. His aunt and uncle loved and spoiled their only child while he was treated as an unwelcome burden.

When he was younger he had often asked his aunt about his parents but every time he got yelled at or locked up for asking questions.

A couple months ago he was finally given an answer to his questions. His uncle had come home from the bar one evening and in his drunken state told Harry how his worthless father James Potter had gotten himself and his mother, Lily, killed in a car crash.

Since that night he blamed his parents for letting him end up with his relatives. He hated his relatives. While his aunt and uncle only yelled at him and made him do most of the chores in the house they allowed their son to do whatever he felt like.

His uncle sometimes even encouraged it, telling his son to beat the freakishness out of Harry. Harry wasn't sure what that freakishness was but he thought it had something to do with the strange things that seemed to happen around him.

When Harry was six his aunt decided he would start attending primary school. Dudley however didn't like the idea and rubbed chewing gum in his hair. His aunt had taken the scissors and quickly cut his hair, leaving him with almost bald spots on his head.

He had wanted to make a good impression on his peers the next day and he knew it would never happen looking like that. He had cried himself to sleep that night wishing for his hair to grow back. Miraculously that's exactly what it did, when his aunt opened the door to his cupboard the next morning she had screamed to him about what a freak he was. He had been confused at first but when he saw his reflection in one of the windows he had been overjoyed.

He couldn't stop smiling all the way to school, he was sure he would make friends without his relatives around.

Unfortunately that was not how it went. The other children made fun of his glasses and oversized clothes, which were Dudley's old clothes that Petunia had given to him. The few kids that did try to talk to him were soon scared off by Dudley and his friends.

He had hoped that not everyone would be like his relatives but they proved him wrong. They were all the same. But he was not like them, no he was different. Special. One day he swore to himself he would prove it. They would regret making fun of him all this time.

While Harry was thinking of ways to prove himself the door to his cupboard finally opened.

"Boy, you have five minutes to get yourself cleaned up before you'll help your aunt with dinner." His uncle said before he turned and walked back to the sofa to watch television with his son.

Once his uncle's back was turned Harry ran up the stairs to use the much needed bathroom. He knew that if he was not downstairs again in five minutes he would be punished. His punishments usually included not getting any decent food and after two days with barely any food he was starving.

Harry hurriedly splashed some water on his face and arms while at the same time trying to drink as much and as fast as he could.

He quietly went back downstairs to join his aunt in the kitchen. He made sure to look out for Dudley when he passed the sofa where he and Vernon were sitting. Dudley often tried to trip him when he wasn't paying attention.

When entering the kitchen he kept quiet, it was impolite to speak to aunt Petunia when not addressed first.

"Finally! What kept you so long, freak? Didn't Vernon tell you to be back downstairs in five minutes?" Aunt Petunia chastised him.

"Yes aunt Petunia," he answered respectfully while his eyes grew wide in horror. He hadn't taken longer than five minutes had he?

"Well, what's taking you so long? Don't just stand there! The vegetables still need to be cooked and roast has to be put in the oven!" She yelled at him before taking her usual seat at the table.

"Yes aunt Petunia," he mumbled before standing on his chair to start on the roast.

He knew from experience the roast would take the most time to prepare. He had been cooking for his relatives since he started primary school a little over a year ago. At first he only had to cook simple things or make sandwiches but his aunt found him old enough to let him use the stove as well now.

He had cut and burned himself quite a few times before he got the hang of it, luckily for him his cuts and burns usually disappeared during the night when he was sleeping.

Dinner passed without any incidents, he was even allowed twice the portion he usually got. His aunt was probably worried about the neighbours noticing how sickly he looked after disappearing for two days.

Later that evening when he was back in his cupboard a small smile graced his face. It was Monday tomorrow, at least it would be easier to find some quiet peace at school.

* * *

The next morning a cold and shivering Harry arrived at school.

After cleaning up the mess his cousin had made during breakfast he had found out his uncle had already left with his cousin to pick up some of Dudley's friends which meant there was no room for him in the car.

Harry didn't really care, sitting in a car with Dudley's friends wasn't an experience he liked. No he much preferred to walk to school even if that meant enduring the rain.

Harry sat at one of the desks near the back of the classroom. The classroom was colourful and had paintings and drawings they had made during class on the walls. At the front of the classroom Mrs. Jones, their teacher, had hung the alphabet since some children still had problems remembering all the letters while doing their daily writing exercises.

He always sat at the same desk, away from the rest of the class so they could not disrupt him and allowing him to look outside. Since he was often bored during the lessons he was always looking outside.

At first glance it did not seem as if anything interesting could be seen through the window except some trees but Harry quickly realized something was always happening in those gnarled willows.

Whether it was a bird building a nest or a cat waiting for an unlucky chick to fall out of it Harry found it a lot more pleasant than spending time with his classmates.

At first Mrs Jones had tried to get him to socialise with the rest of the class but gave up soon after realising that there was no love lost between the other children and Harry.

Mrs Jones knew Harry was often bullied by his cousin and his friends. She had tried to talk to Dudley's parents about it but they made her quite clear that they did not believe their son was at fault and threatened to file a complaint against her. She kept quiet after that but often allowed the sweet child to stay in the classroom during breaks.

"Now children don't forget we're going to the library after lunch so I want all of you to think about what kind of book you want to read this week," She told them before the bell rang.

She sighed as she saw Harry Potter shuffling towards her desk when all the other children had already left her classroom as if the devil was at their heels.

"Could I stay and eat my lunch here ma'am?" he asked while looking at the blackboard behind her.

"Not today Harry, I'm sorry. I have a staff meeting during lunch and you know I'm not allowed to let you stay here without a supervisor," She told the child.

"Of course ma'am, I apologise for keeping you."

Harry turned away, hidings the emotions on his face. He knew she did not make the rules but it didn't stop him from being disappointed.

Unlike his previous teachers, who either tried to ignore him as much as possible or cuddle him to death , Mrs Jones gave him personal attention while still keeping her distance. He didn't like it when people tried to cuddle him out of pity but he didn't deny that once in a while it felt quite nice to get some positive attention for a change.

Mrs Jones looked on as the small child turned and left her classroom, hoping he would be left alone today.

* * *

Harry was running as fast as his legs could move. As soon as he had left the classroom Dudley and his gang started chasing him. 'Harry Hunting' was one of their favourite games and the only thing keeping Harry safe at the moment was the fact that he could run faster than his obese cousin. He had been running for over fifteen minutes and he knew couldn't keep this up any longer. In his panic he ran into a corridor with a dead-end.

_Don't let them find me. Please let me be somewhere else._ He desperately thought while standing in the corner. He closed his eyes waiting for Dudley and his cronies to arrive but instead of feeling the punch of a fist he felt something similar to a pull at his navel accompanied by a strange popping sound. Cautiously he opened his eyes only to find himself standing on what appeared to be the roof of the building.

"How did I get up here?" he asked aloud.

He turned around as fast as he could, almost tripping over his own feet in the process, when he heard someone chuckle behind him.

At first he thought perhaps Dudley was there but instead a man was sitting on what appeared to be a chimney as if it were a throne.

The man looked as if he was in his late thirties and was wearing something that looked remarkably like an oversized bathrobe. His appearance was unkempt, his raven black hair which was held back with some sort of clasp was sticking out in certain places. It looked as if the man hadn't bothered to shower in a couple of days. Harry was pretty sure he could smell the man if he tried hard enough, not that he was going to of course that would just be rude and probably stupid as well. The man didn't look very nice at all, he was looking down at Harry with a sneer as if he wasn't worth his time.

Harry involuntarily took a step back, "Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

The man smirked, "It's impolite to ask one's name without introducing yourself child. Didn't anyone bother to teach you manners or are you too stupid to remember them? The name's Henry though. As for what I am doing up here I believe I am doing the same thing as yourself."

Harry looked at the man warily, not sure if he should feel insulted or afraid. Did the man mean he was running away from bullies? He didn't look as if he couldn't protect himself. Instead he looked more like the bullying type of person. Or maybe the man meant he was hiding. That seemed a lot more believable. Was the man going to attack him? He had heard his aunt talk to one the neighbours about children who got assaulted while playing in the park when their parents weren't paying attention. He wasn't sure what happened to the children but he knew it wasn't anything good.

"Stop worrying child, I'm not here to hurt you," the man said as if he knew exactly what Harry was thinking.

"Now why don't you tell me why you are up here instead of playing with the other children?"

"I...I don't like the other children," Harry mumbled looking at his feet as if they were the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

"Don't look at your feet boy, look at the person you're talking to and speak clearly!" The man snarled at him.

"I don't like the other children," Harry repeated more clearly while staring defiantly into the man's eyes. In the days to come he would often think that the man's eyes looked remarkably like his own.

"Why not?"

"They follow Dudley like little puppies and do everything he tells them to because they're afraid he might turn on them. They're too scared to stand up for themselves and bully me because they don't want it to happen to themselves," Harry answered, half expecting the man to get angry for speaking so boldly.

The man glanced at him for a second before chuckling once more. Noticing that the man wasn't going to say anything else or hurt him Harry sat himself on the ground and ate the half sandwich his aunt had allowed him to take that morning.

An apple sailed through the air at full speed and only thanks to his fast reflexes Harry managed to catch it. He gave a grateful smile but kept quiet not wanting to disrupt the man while he was obviously thinking. They sat in silence for a while as both child and adult had no use for small talk.

Harry knew lunch break was almost over so he had to get down. He stood up looking around for a way to get down again.

The man noticed the boy looking around for a way down, "There's a fire escape ladder over there."

"Lunch break is almost over so I should get down again before Mrs Jones comes looking for me," Harry explained.

Henry nodded once and held out his hand, "Take it, perhaps it will bring you better luck than it did for me. Keep it safe. "

Harry held out his hand and looked at what Henry had dropped in it. It was a simple necklace, a leather thread with a dark flat stone on it. It was rather small but Harry could see some sort of symbol carved on it with several smaller ones around it.

"What does the symbol mean?"

"It's called a Rune, you can look it up when you're at the library."

Harry's eyes grew wide, how did he know he was going to the library? He hadn't said anything about it, had he?

"You better hurry if you don't want to be late," The man told Harry, effectively making him forget about what he was thinking.

"Thank you sir," Harry said before running towards the ladder.

As soon as Harry's head disappeared a small pop could be heard and where the man, had been only moments before there was nothing but an empty roof and air.

* * *

Harry was so excited during the walk to the library he didn't even care that Dudley kept trying to trip and shove him. He had never before received a gift and the necklace he now wore around his neck made him tingle with excitement.

He knew the man would not have given it to just anyone, it was only for him. He didn't know why but the necklace already felt as if it were part of him, making him feel more energized then in a long time.

It was the first time ever that Harry felt as if someone really cared for him, as if he was more than just a freak. He knew people like Mrs Jones liked him but she was just doing her job and when school was over she just went home and forgot about him until she saw him again the next day.

"Please quiet down for a minute children!" Mrs Jones said while trying to get the children in a circle so they could all hear her, "You've got 40 minutes to find one book you want to read this week, once you get your book come show it to me so I can see if it's acceptable for your level. Did everyone hear me?"

"Yes Mrs Jones," The children replied in chorus while trying to decide which bookshelves they wanted to look at first.

"Right then off you go and remember; no running or screaming!" The teacher said with a fond smile on her face.

Unlike the other children Harry was more subdued and took his time looking through the books for his age.

The first time Mrs Jones took them to the library he hadn't taken a book because he knew his aunt and uncle wouldn't like him taking books into the house let alone read them.

When Mrs Jones had asked him about it he had tried to pretend he didn't like reading. She could see right through his lie but instead of asking more questions about it she had just told him he could keep the book in the classroom and read it during lunch.

After that he always made sure to get a book that was thick enough so he could read it all week instead of taking a book with more pictures than words like some of the other children did.

"What's wrong Harry? Do you have trouble finding a book you'd like to read?"

He jumped a little since he hadn't heard his teacher come up behind him but there she was looking at the books over his shoulder.

"I'm not sure ma'am. There is something I'd like to read up on but I'm not sure if there's anything like it around here,"

"Well why don't you tell me about it so we can look around? I'm sure we can come up with something,"

"I watched this documentary on the telly a couple of days ago and it had something to do with these strange symbols. I believe they called them runes. Do you happen to know anything about them ma'am?" No harm in telling a little lie, after all he couldn't just tell her about the man on the roof.

"Runes Harry? Well I'm sure the library has some books on them but are you sure you don't want something else to read Harry? I'm sure we can find a good story for you read," Mrs Jones asked. She wasn't sure what a boy of his age could do with a book on runes, he probably couldn't even understand half the words used.

"No Ma'am I'd really like a book on them,"

"All right then but if they're too difficult for you to understand we're coming back to find you a story. Let's ask the nice lady at the reception on where we can find them," Mrs Jones replied.

After receiving directions and a strange look from the librarian they found the correct bookshelf. There weren't many books on runes but after looking through some mythology books they found one with several runes and their description.

"I'd like to read this one Ma'am," Harry said while looking at several of the symbols. He didn't see the one of his necklace at first glance but there were several pages so perhaps his would be in there.

"All right Harry, why don't you head back to the reception while I help the rest of your class," Mrs Jones answered. She didn't know why Harry would want that book but at first glance there were several pictures and drawings so he should be able to keep himself busy with it for the next week.

The next days passed in a blur for Harry. At home he did his chores for the Dursleys while trying his best not to make any mistakes. At school the hours went by while Harry looked at his favourite willows. It was spring and the birds were busy building their nests and taking advantage of the abundance of food. He could barely wait until lunch break so he could read in his book again.

He had decided not to skip directly to the part about the runes but read the book from the beginning. It held several stories on Norse mythology, how they believed the world was created and their Gods. He couldn't understand some of the more difficult words but Mrs Jones would often explain them to him.

He first stumbled across the mention of runes when reading the story of Odin, or Wodan, and the tree Yggdragsil and how Odin received the knowledge of runes. He didn't think the stories were true but they fascinated him and it wasn't long before he came to the part about the runes.

He had studied the necklace every time he got the chance for it which wasn't that often really since he didn't want anyone seeing it. He didn't know why but it felt as if it wasn't supposed to be shared with anyone else. The idea of anyone taking it from him or even looking at it made him angry without any obvious reason.

The assumption at first glance that the necklace was just a stone with a large rune and some smaller ones around it seemed to be incorrect. It appeared as if the whole surface of the stone was covered in small symbols and runes, some could be barely seen. Harry wondered how it was possible to create something so detailed on such a small surface.

Harry didn't think it was possible to figure out what each symbol and rune meant but he was convinced he could find out what the large rune on the front side of the stone meant. It didn't take long before he managed to find the rune in his book, it seemed it was quite a common one.

It had several meanings which made it impossible for Harry to know what exactly it was supposed to mean but he made a list of all the things it could be. He didn't think it was used in the sense of vacation though so that was the first one he scratched.

At the end of the week Harry was disappointed. For every rune he found in his book there were several meanings. He felt as if he wasted his time looking for answers the book would never be able to give him. Mrs Jones wasn't able to help him along either, she told him that with the passing of time the meaning of runes disappeared making it impossible to know exactly what everything was supposed to mean.

Harry wasn't going to give up though. He had told himself he would find the answer and he didn't plan to stop looking until he found it. But for now he was content to keep it hidden under his clothes, the cool surface touching his chest and making him feel as if everything was possible.

* * *

He should have known he couldn't keep the necklace hidden forever. Dudley had seen the leather thread around his neck when on their way home from school. He hadn't said anything so far but he had smiled at him before continuing his way.

He knew Dudley wouldn't keep quiet about it though, sooner or later it would come up and he would get in trouble. In this case it would probably be the former, Dudley never was very good at keeping things quiet.

He should have hidden it at school but now it was too late. Dudley was in front of him with aunt Petunia and they would notice if he disappeared, even if it was only for a couple of minutes. No all he could do was wait and hope his aunt would give him chores in the garden. That way he could hide the necklace and pretend he never had it. He would get punished of course since his aunt and uncle wouldn't believe him but at least the necklace would be safe.

He was nervous, his hands were clammy and he could feel the sweat on his brow. If he didn't relax soon his aunt would know immediately that something was wrong but even his necklace couldn't calm him. He had noticed over the past days that it never warmed up it was always cold to the touch but now it seemed almost hot. If he didn't know any better he would say it felt that something was wrong but he knew that was just his imagination.

"Get inside boy, I have better things to do than waiting for you all day," his aunt was waiting for him in the doorway. He hadn't noticed they were home already. He was still nervously sweating when passing his aunt.

"Get yourself cleaned up and then come downstairs to start dinner. Your uncle will be home early tonight so you better hurry," she sneered at him.

"Yes aunt Petunia," he replied while keeping his head down. Henry may have told him it were bad manners but his aunt and uncle certainly didn't like it if he looked at their faces while replying.

He rushed into the bathroom to wash his face and do his business before going back downstairs. He briefly entertained the idea of hiding the necklace in the house but he knew they would find it and be in even more trouble.

There wasn't enough time to cook dinner on his own so his aunt helped him in the kitchen. Vernon wanted his food on the table when he got home so they prepared everything as fast as possible. His aunt never spoke to him unless it was necessary and Dudley was in the living room watching telly but he still couldn't focus enough to find an excuse for the necklace. They wouldn't believe him if he said he found it. People didn't just walk around with these kind of necklaces, let alone lose them.

No he would just have to figure it out during dinner. It was too late now anyway his aunt was already setting the table and he could hear his uncle talking to Dudley in the living room. He would think of something, he had to.

It happened during dessert. Perhaps Dudley had waited until now so he could enjoy the scene that would certainly follow with some ice cream.

"So Dad, did you know Harry has a new necklace?"

"A necklace? What kind of necklace boy? And where did you get it?" his uncles beady eyes zeroed in on him.

"Pierce said he heard Mrs Jones complaining to another teacher on how hers was stolen..." Dudley said before he could even open his mouth to say something.

"You stole from your teacher? You ungrateful brat! Give me that necklace!" his uncle yelled at him. His aunt had stood up from her chair and was standing behind Vernon, glaring at him as if she never expected any better.

"N.. no, I didn't steal it I swear! It was a gift!" he stuttered. He could see Dudley smiling at him, he was enjoying this. He stood up trying to get away from his uncle who was advancing on him.

"A gift? Who would want to give you anything? Now hand over that necklace to your uncle boy before things get worse," his aunt sneered.

They had moved into the living room by now and he was starting to panic. He couldn't lose his necklace, it was his. He just knew Henry had trusted him to keep it safe. When he saw his uncle come even closer his fight or flee instinct kicked in and he made a run for it.

The only room with a lock was the bathroom so he ran up the stairs. Or at least tried to, halfway up his uncle grabbed his leg and he fell down his chin hitting the stairs before tumbling down.

He wasn't sure what happened afterwards. His head felt like it would explode any moment, he could taste blood in his mouth and his right arm hurt like hell. He didn't know what was happening but he could feel his uncle touch his neck taking something off. He couldn't remember what it was though, the pain making it impossible to think clearly.

In the background he could hear a women screaming about the freaks but he didn't know what she was talking about. Nothing made sense any more.

* * *

He woke up in the dark. For a moment he wasn't sure where he was but then the smell of his cupboard reached his nose. He had trouble remembering what had happened the past few days. He remembered fighting over something and falling down the stairs. He had woken up a few times after that, his aunt had checked on him a couple times a day.

His necklace!

In his panic he moved his arms to see if he could find it anywhere. He cried out in pain when his right arm touched his chest. Pain exploded behind his eyes. He tried putting it down as gently as he could before continuing his search with just his left hand. He felt his hope die when he couldn't feel it around his neck any more, his uncle must have taken it. He wasn't going to give up yet though and tried feeling around in his cupboard without moving his body.

He found it in a corner near his head. His uncle or aunt must have thrown it in after they dragged him inside. Perhaps they figured out it was worthless and decided to give it back to him. He didn't care though he clutched it in his left hand and laid it on his chest before falling back to sleep.

He woke up several times after that, he wasn't sure what day it was but he didn't think a lot of time had passed yet. He still couldn't move his arm and he could still taste his blood in his mouth. In fact he was sure his hands were bleeding as well, he couldn't see it in the dark of his cupboard but he could feel how sticky they were when he tried closing them.

His necklace was still clutched in his left hand. When he was awake he started talking to it. Whispering silly things to keep his mind of the pain. He was probably getting sick because he swore the stone kept getting warmer and warmer. He wouldn't let go though it was the only thing he had.

"I wonder what your purpose is. I never thought your meaning was 'vacation' but a vacation sounds nice. I was never allowed to go on vacation with them you know? I have to stay with the cat lady across the street," he whispered in the dark.

"Maybe you could mean 'travel', I'd love to travel with you. We could see the world together, without the Dursleys of course," he giggled. He felt light-headed as if he had no energy left. Perhaps he should close his eyes again, yes sleep did sound pretty good right now.

He never noticed the stone in his hand almost burning nor did he notice the popping noise with which he disappeared from his cupboard under the stairs...


	2. New Dawn

Chapter Two

_**New Dawn**_

He was cold. Cold and wet. Everything hurt but he was getting used to that. What wasn't normal though was the scent. He couldn't smell the dust in the air or the subtle odour of mould which someone had tried to hide with cleaning products.

He could however smell grass which wasn't normal at all, his cupboard wasn't near the garden. Maybe his uncle finally decided to act on what he always said and threw him out of the house. He opened his eyes to take a look around.

"Great, how did I end up in a field?" He had no idea where he was. He didn't know if there were any fields around Privet Drive, he certainly didn't recognise the place.

It took a while before he managed to gather enough strength to stand up. He was careful to avoid putting pressure on his right arm but he still had to hold back a scream when it touched his side. He still had his necklace clutched in his left hand and the first thing he did when he stood up was hang it around his neck. It was dirty and covered with blood but he didn't care, he still had it and that was all that mattered to him.

It was early morning, or at least he thought it was. It was raining softly and a small cloud formed every time he exhaled. He looked like a mess, his clothes were dirty and his hands and knees were scraped. He could barely move his right arm, too afraid of the pain to really try it.

His face probably didn't look any better. He remembered falling and hitting his chin on the stairs before tumbling down.

He couldn't see any houses near him, he was a couple of feet away from a dirt road but he had no idea where it would lead him to. He was dizzy and his head was pounding but he wasn't going to start crying though. He would just follow the road and get someone to take him to the doctor.

He wasn't stupid, he knew they would take him to someone who could help him before they would bring him back to the Dursleys. He didn't care what his uncle would say afterwards. He started walking in the direction he thought would lead to a house.

Time seemed to crawl by, the sun had emerged by now but his clothes were still drenched. He felt as if he had been walking for hours but when he looked back he was sure he could see the field he started from. He felt even worse than when he had gotten up. He was light-headed and thirsty.

It wasn't much later that he decided to take a small break and sat himself down on the side of the road. He could really do with some water now, the Dursleys didn't care for him but they always gave him something to drink a couple times a day. His stomach rumbled even though he felt dizzy. He needed to rest a bit if he wanted to continue later on.

* * *

He was dreaming of exploring the world when he realised he could hear voices arguing close by. He wearily opened one of his eyes, expecting to see his aunt or uncle leaning over him.

It weren't the Dursleys though. It was an elderly couple.

"Oh look he's awake," the women was smiling at him.

He didn't recognise her, her hair was already greying and her face full of wrinkles. He remembered aunt Petunia calling them laugh lines once. He wasn't sure why anyone would want to laugh so much if their faces stuck like that though.

"What happened to you lad?" the man asked in a gruff voice, he was old as well but it was obvious he hadn't laughed as much as the women.

"Now don't you dare scare him Richard! The poor boy doesn't even know who we are yet," the lady scowled at the man who he guessed was called Richard.

"This is Richard and you can call me Olivia. And who might you be?" she continued.

"Harry ma'am," he answered, trying to sit up instead of lying on his back.

"What a polite young man you are! Let me help you," she said while reaching for his arm. He wasn't fast enough and had to bite back a scream when she took hold of his right arm.

"You are hurting him you foolish women," Richard said while grabbing Olivia's hand before she could do more harm.

"I apologise Harry, I didn't know your arm was hurt as well. Where are your parents? Did you get lost?" Olivia asked while obviously resisting herself not to touch him again.

"My parents are dead ma'am, I'm not sure where I am," he wasn't sure yet if he wanted to tell them about his relatives. Not that he really believed he could get away from them but that didn't mean he was looking forward to going back.

"Oh you poor child! We're near Sunbury, Surrey. But with whom do you live Harry? You're not living on your own, are you? You're far too young to take care of yourself," she looked at him with something akin to pity in her eyes.

He wasn't sure if he wanted pity from her. It wasn't the first time someone looked at him like that, he had noticed Mrs Jones looking at him with pity the first couple of weeks he attended her class. She had stopped doing it so often after that though, she probably figured he managed fine on his own and got used to it.

"I live with my relatives in Little Whinging. I don't think it can be too far,"

"Little Whinging? I've never heard of it, are you sure dearie?"

He just nodded. She had never heard of it? Maybe he was further away from home than he thought. Or maybe the Dursleys didn't think he would be found if they dumped him in some random field.

"Why don't we take Harry here to the police station so they can contact his relatives?" Richard interrupted before Olivia could ask any more questions.

"The boy doesn't need the police to interrogate him Richard, he needs medical attention. Why don't we take him to the hospital and then we can call the police so they can come over," it was obvious to Harry that Olivia would get her way. The man just shrugged before nodding.

"Well alright, can you walk? We left the car a couple of feet down the road," Richard asked him. He hadn't noticed the car yet but it made sense, how else would they end up in the middle of nowhere.

"You can hold onto me with your good hand Harry,"

He wasn't sure if he should do that. She looked quite old and fragile, he didn't want to accidentally hurt her.

"I'm sure I could carry you if it were necessary, I'm not that old yet," she must have seen the doubt in his eyes.

Richard went ahead of them to get the car ready, he wasn't sure why that was necessary but according to him it took a couple of tries to start. They managed to get to the car without bumping into each other too much. His head had started throbbing again when he stood up making him dizzy and nauseous.

The car didn't look anything like his uncle's. It looked like an old model, it was in good shape though. The paint was shiny and except some dust and dirt on the wheels it was spotless.

"Do you like it? It's the newest model, just bought it last month,"

He just smiled at the man, he wasn't sure if he understood him correctly but he wasn't feeling well. All he wanted to do was get some sleep and maybe something for the pain.

"You can brag about the car later Richard. Let's get him on the back seat and go already,"

A couple of minutes later they were ready to go. They kept talking to him during the ride, apparently Olivia didn't want him to fall asleep because it could be dangerous. He didn't think it would hurt but they were the adults so he did his best to stay awake.

* * *

Time passed in a blur. He wasn't sure how long they had been driving before they stopped at the nearest hospital. Apparently Olivia had wanted to take him to a hospital she knew in London but they didn't want to risk the longer ride and so they went to the nearest smaller one.

The doctors and nurses were very nice to him. They asked him questions and did several tests before he was finally allowed to get some sleep. The bed wasn't very comfortable but he was too tired to notice.

He didn't know how long he had been sleeping but every hour one of the nurses would wake him up before he was allowed to sleep again. When he finally woke up on his own the nurse said he had been sleeping for three days. He was starving but apparently he wasn't allowed to eat too much at once because he had a concussion.

Harry wasn't sure what a concussion was but they explained to him that he needed to rest for the next couple of weeks. His head still hurt but it was definitely better than before.

His arm and shoulder felt better as well. Apparently they were bruised and strained but not broken so a cast wasn't necessary.

The elderly couple who had brought him in had left during his 'nap'. Harry hadn't understood at first why they had to leave but apparently they had received news that their son and daughter-in-law were visiting so they couldn't stay. They had left him a box of chocolates and a nice card though.

A day later they informed him that a police officer would visit to ask him some questions about his relatives. He wasn't looking forward to it at all but he didn't think he could fake being sick.

The nurses were very nice but not stupid. He had tried playing sick to avoid a bath but unfortunately for him the nurses weren't fooled at all. He swore they scrubbed him extra hard just to teach him a lesson.

Turned out he shouldn't have been nervous about the police officer at all. The interview only lasted a couple of minutes. They asked his name, residence and the names of his relatives.

Harry answered as best as he could and at the end he received a copy of everything the police officer had written down.

The officer told him they would do their best to look for his relatives before departing.

Harry was bored, the nurses had other patients to help out so they couldn't talk to him that often and he wasn't allowed out of bed.

He re-read the official report he had received from the officer before seeing something weird at the bottom. In a small script next to his signature it read 'Signed on September 20, 1933'. That couldn't be right, he was sure it should be 1987. They had learned this in class a couple weeks ago, or at least Mrs Jones had tried to explain it.

He tried asking one of the nurses without making a complete fool of himself but she just looked at the paper and said it looked fine. He wasn't sure what was going on. Maybe it was a prank and they were just trying to fool him.

He wasn't going to be made a fool though! He would just pretend as if everything was fine until they gave up. As if he would believe he went back in time, he was seven not stupid.

* * *

A couple of days later he was still bored. The day before he was briefly allowed to get out of bed to get some fresh air. He couldn't go far, the nurse didn't have time to take him to the garden but he was able to stretch his legs in the hallways.

They were still trying to fool him with the whole time thing, they even went so far as to dress themselves weirdly. He wasn't sure what to think of it. If it was possible to go back in time he would have heard about it before wouldn't he?

He briefly entertained the idea that he was dreaming and none of it was real. He didn't think it was a dream though, he was never good at remembering his dreams. And the ones he did remember never seemed so vivid.

That still left him with the idea that this was just a big hoax. He wasn't so sure about it any more though so he kept quiet and made sure to act as if nothing was wrong.

Except for the bed rest and the daily bath the hospital wasn't too bad. He didn't have to do any chores and he received a meal three times a day. He wasn't sure who would pay for his stay but when he had asked they told him not to worry about hoped Olivia had paid for him because if the Dursleys would receive the bill they wouldn't be happy at all.

He was going to enjoy his stay while he could. He wasn't allowed to leave so there was nothing he could do about it even if he wanted to.

His relatives hadn't showed up yet so he guessed the police officer hadn't managed to contact them yet. If he was lucky it would take another couple of days. A couple of days he could relax and rest before he would have to go back to his chores and school.

He kind of missed school, not his classmates of course but he missed Mrs Jones and his book. They had allowed him to keep his necklace but he wanted to know more about it. He had noticed it felt different since he woke up in the hospital.

It was strange but it didn't feel as heavy any more as if something was missing. He still held it and even whispered to it in the dark but it wasn't the same any more. It almost felt as if it was just another regular necklace with a stone.

He wasn't going to throw it away though, he would keep it until he could figure out what all the symbols meant. Besides it was the first gift he ever received, he could never give it up.

He had just finished dinner when the police officer from a couple days earlier came in his room.

"Good evening Harry, can I come in or are you busy?" he asked, as if the man didn't know he was bored and not allowed to leave his bed.

He just nodded, anxious to hear when his relatives would be at the hospital to take him back to Privet Drive.

"I'll be blunt Harry, we couldn't find any of your relatives at all. We have sent the information to all the local police departments but so far nobody seems to have filed a report for a missing child," he told him once he sat down on the only chair available in the room.

"We're not sure what to do with you at the moment. We've contacted Child Protection Services and they will keep an eye open but they advised to place you in an orphanage until your relatives are found." he continued.

Harry wasn't sure if he understood everything correctly. He didn't understand why his relatives couldn't be found.

"What's an orphanage?" he had heard of the word before. His uncle had threatened to send him there but he wasn't sure what it was exactly. His uncle always made it sound as if it was worse than living with them.

"It's a place for children without parents. Children often go there until someone wants to adopt them. It's not a bad place Harry, you get to go to school and the caretakers make sure you get everything you need," the police officer explained.

"But what if the Dursleys come back? Maybe they went on a vacation?"

"If they come back you can always go home with them again. Of course they would have to explain their absence first. You shouldn't have been outside and since you can't remember anything except falling down the stairs they will have to answer some questions first."

The police officer gave him some more information about what would happen to him. In the morning they would go to London together because there was no local orphanage. Not every town needed one because according to the officer there weren't that many orphans around.

So for the first time in his life Harry would be visiting London. Well he guessed it couldn't be called visiting really since he would be living there. At least until his relatives showed up.

* * *

Harry was nervous the next morning. The police officer had showed up early and it didn't take long before they were on their way to London. When he saw the car they would be taking Harry suddenly remembered the whole time issue.

He hadn't thought of it because of the news the officer had brought him last night. But the car looked just as old as the one Richard drove on his way to the hospital. Once they had left the parking lot Harry noticed all the cars on the road looked like that.

He didn't think that many people could be in on the prank so that would mean he something strange had happened to him. It would also explain why nobody could find his relatives. If he had gone back in time maybe his relatives had stayed behind. That would mean he would never have to see them again.

No Dursleys meant no chores or Dudley bullying him. It also meant leaving everything else behind but he didn't mind. He didn't have much to begin with except his necklace which he still wore around his neck. He could get used to this. He smiled, enjoying the sun on his face.

"You seem pretty happy about the situation. The orphanage is a decent place, you'll see," the officer, who was apparently named Paul, said.

"And even if your relatives never show up again I'm sure someone will want to adopt you."

He wasn't sure if he wanted to be adopted. If they were anything like the Durlseys he was probably better off without them but he shouldn't judge too quickly. He hadn't even arrived at the orphanage yet so he didn't know anything about it.

"Why don't you try to close your eyes and take a nap. It will take a while before we get there and the doctors said you need to rest for a couple more weeks,"

He decided a nap couldn't hurt. He was still recovering and he hadn't slept well after the news last night so he was pretty tired.

He wasn't sure what he was dreaming about but he felt a gentle nudge in his side waking him up.

"You sure sleep deeply. I've been trying to wake you up for the past couple of minutes but you didn't react at all." Paul said.

"We arrived so why don't you comb your hair and make sure your clothes look decent before we go inside," he continued.

Harry did as told and a couple minutes later they walked through the large iron gate. Behind the gates lay a square on which children were playing. At the end of the small square stood a medium-sized grey building.

It didn't look very inviting and while the children were laughing and playing they didn't look very clean. Some of them stopped their games to look at them but most of the children didn't even bother to look as if they had seen it enough already.

Harry noticed children of all ages, he guess there were around fifty of them outside. The older children were playing a game of soccer while the younger ones were running around. He guessed they were playing some sort of tag but he didn't have much experience so he couldn't be sure.

He noticed a boy a bit taller than him sitting with his back to the wall and reading a book. He was the only one sitting on his own. The boy looked up from his book when he noticed Harry looking but Harry didn't have time to stop and wave because Paul was getting ahead of him.

He ran up to Paul and together they walked inside the building.

"You must be Harry, come in we were expecting you. My name is Mrs Cole and I'm the matron of this orphanage," and older lady was waiting for them inside the hallway. It was clean inside but he could see a lot of people lived inside the building.

"Yes this is Harry, he's probably still a bit tired because he's usually more talkative," Paul replied while looking at him pointedly.

"I apologise ma'am. I'm not feeling very well yet," he said quickly. He didn't want to make a bad impression on his first day. He looked at Mrs Cole instead of his surroundings when she led them to what appeared to be a waiting room with and office in the room behind it.

Mrs Cole was old, not as old as Olivia but he was sure she was older than aunt Petunia. She wasn't as skinny as his aunt though and wore a dress which had seen better days. Her brow hair was tied in a bun giving her a strict appearance.

"Why don't you take a seat here while the officer and I do the paperwork and make sure everything is in order," Mrs Cole said while pointing at one of the chairs scattered in the room.

Paul went into what he guessed was Mrs Cole's office before closing the door behind them. He sat himself down on one of the chairs to wait until they needed him. The chair was very uncomfortable and here wasn't anything to read so he just looked at room.

It wasn't long before he got so bored he decided to take a look around. He went back the way they came in or at least what he though was the right way. After a couple of minutes of running around he had no idea where he was.

He was starting to panic, he had to get back to the waiting room before Paul and the matron finished. If they noticed he was gone he would certainly get in trouble. He turned around only to come face to face with the boy he had seen earlier.

As he had guess earlier the boy was taller than him but not by much. His eyes were very dark almost as dark as his short hair. He wore the same clothes as all the other children, a light grey shirt which seemed a size too large and a darker overcoat. He guessed it was some sort of uniform all the children had to wear.

"Excuse me, do you know the way to the waiting room?" he asked as politely as he could.

The boy didn't answer him though he just stared at him as if he expected him to just walk away.

"Can you hear me? My aunt once told me some people can't hear what others say, are you deaf?"

Still no response from the boy. His head was starting to hurt and he really wanted to get back to the office.

"Look I'm not going to walk away as if you're not here. Now tell me how I can get back," he was starting to get angry. The stupid boy looked surprised now as if he didn't expect he would get angry.

The boy cocked his head as if deciding whether to answer him or not but before he could open his mouth he saw Mrs Cole and Paul appear from behind the corner.

"There you are, we've been looking for you. Didn't Mrs Cole ask you to wait in the waiting room?" Paul looked quite angry, as if he had been worried.

"I'm sorry sir, I wasn't feeling to well and decided to look for a bathroom," he lied while looking as sick as possible. He didn't have to try very hard since his head was still hurting.

"Don't worry child, you did the right thing. I see you've met Tom," Mrs Cole cut in before Paul could reply.

So the weird boy was called Tom. Not that he really cared, he still hadn't said a word to him.

"Now why don't we go back to my office and finish all the details so we can get you settled," she continued before she turned around and started walking away.

Both Paul and himself followed her. He passed Tom but didn't bother to look at him any more. If he wanted to ignore him that was fine, he didn't need him anyway.

They went back to the office and this time he was allowed to go inside as well.

"Now Harry since you'll be living here the orphanage will become your warden as long as you stay, which is either until you get adopted or until you are considered an adult. Since it is possible that your relatives will come for you your stay here could be very brief. Because of this we have arranged that you will share a room with Dennis. One of our staff members, Martha, will show you around later,"

He didn't want to share a room. Even at Privet Drive he had his own room, it couldn't be really considered a room but he didn't have to share it with anyone.

Mrs Cole didn't notice or didn't care because she just continued, " Now we've got some last paperwork we need to fill in before we can start. Your name's Harry right, Harry Potter? Is it short for anything?"

He shook his head, as far as he knew it wasn't.

"Well do you mind if we make it Henry? It's better for adoption, Harry is just too common these days. We already have three different Harrys in the orphanage," she asked him.

"I don't mind. Henry is fine," he liked the name Henry better and he reasoned his relatives weren't going to show up soon if he really did go back in time. He realised there really wasn't anything to stop him from doing what he wanted. Dudley couldn't keep the other children away from him so perhaps he could even make friends this time.

"Well that's settled then. I guess I should be taking my leave now, I still have a long ride ahead of me to get back home. Harry, lad take care of yourself and be good," Paul said before taking his leave.

He realised he was on his own now. There was nobody around who knew him, no elderly couple to help him out or nurses to take care of him. Not even Paul who had patiently explained everything that would happen to him. It was just him in an environment he had no experience with.

"Let's find Martha so she can get you some clothes and everything else you'll need,"

He followed Mrs Cole through what seemed like a maze of hallways and stairs. The building seemed a lot bigger on the inside than he had guessed. He almost had to run to keep up with her, it was obvious she was used to people following her.

They entered a small room in the back of the building where several women and older girls were doing the laundry. They were doing a lot of the laundry by hand and the few instruments he could see didn't look anything like the washing machine aunt Petunia had.

"Martha, we've got a new one. Could you get him some clothes and put him in the room where Dennis sleeps. He still has a spare bed in there which he can use," the matron said to one of the women working.

She had dark blonde hair, which was also in a bun but had a few loose curls making her look less strict than Mrs Cole. If he had to guess he would say she was about twenty years old but he wasn't an expert on guessing people's age.

"Of course, let's find you something to wear. What's your name dear?" she was smiling at him, probably to make him feel welcome or something.

Mrs Jones had once told him people smiled so others would feel comfortable. He hadn't quite understood what she meant back then but he did now, it made him feel less nervous.

"Henry ma'am,"

"Oh you don't have to call me ma'am it makes me feel old, Martha is just fine. I would ask which colours you prefer but I'm afraid all of the clothes are standard grey. Let's get something that will fit you,"

They managed to find him several pairs of clothes . He had never been allowed to choose his own clothes so he didn't care that they were all the same. Afterwards Martha took him upstairs while showing him some of the important rooms in the orphanage like the library and kitchen.

The second and third floors held bedrooms and a couple of large bathrooms where several people could shower and wash at the same time.

"You'll be sharing a room with Dennis since he's the only one left without a roommate. He's a nice boy though so you should get along fine," she told him when they arrived on the third floor.

"Dennis is outside at the moment with the rest of the children but you'll meet him at dinner," she continued.

The room was small, there was a bed on either side of the window and a little table with two chairs. There wasn't any closet space for his clothes but Martha showed him there was room available under the bed to use as storage.

Martha left him to settle in. Dinner would be served soon so he had to hurry if he wanted to freshen up. The left bed would be his for the duration of his stay here. Somebody had obviously prepared it for him earlier, all he had to do were his clothes.

He didn't want to hurry before dinner so he would shower afterwards. After dinner they would be free for two hours before they had to get to bed. According to Martha the older children were allowed to stay up later but the younger ones like him had a curfew.

He decided to lay down for the last couple of minutes. The bed was obviously old and used before but he guessed he couldn't expect it to be brand new. Nothing in the orphanage seemed new as if they didn't have enough money to renovate or buy new furniture.

* * *

"Martha asked me to get you. Dinner is ready. You better get out of bed if you want any," someone said from the doorway.

He opened one of his eyes to see who said it. The weird boy from earlier, Tom he believed Mrs Cole called him stood in his doorway. Before he could reply he turned around and walked away again.

Harry hurried out of his bed. He wasn't sure if he knew the way to the dining room. He managed to catch up to him but didn't say anything when they walked to downstairs together. He noticed Tom was looking at him now and then as if he wanted to say something but kept changing his mind. He wasn't going to be the first to ask a question though so he just ignored it as best as he could.

Tom was a weird child, too pale and almost sickly looking as if he didn't go outside enough. He knew that probably wasn't true though, he had first seen him outside. His appearance was spotless, nothing like some of the other children he had seen outside. His clothes were old but Harry couldn't see any smudges or holes. As if the boy couldn't stand the idea of getting dirty.

They arrived at the dining room in silence. Tom slipped inside before he could ask him what he was supposed to do or where he should sit. Luckily he saw Martha inside who told him how everything was done.

Dinner passed in silence for him. He noticed some of the children looking at him and whispering to their neighbours but nobody bothered to talk to him. It wasn't anything new for him so he wasn't too bothered by it.

Afterwards he went back upstairs. He was too tired to shower and decided to get some rest. He could meet the other children the next day, it wasn't like he would be leaving soon anyway.

His roommate was already inside when he arrived back at his room. He remembered Martha had called him Dennis. Dennis looked to be around his age with a mop of sandy blonde hair. He was short and had a round face with freckles on his cheeks.

"Hello, my name is Henry. I'll be your roommate from now on," he introduced himself.

"I'm Dennis. I noticed you arrived earlier today. It's nice to meet you," the boy replied without any enthusiasm.

"So uh, have you had any room-mates yet?" he wondered, Dennis didn't act as if it was anything new to have one.

"Yeah, the last one was John until a couple of weeks ago,"

"What happened to him? Did he leave?"

"He got adopted by an older couple. I bet you'll get adopted before me as well, they all do." Dennis replied angrily.

He wasn't sure why Dennis would get so angry about not being adopted. So far life in the orphanage seemed pretty good. Everyone had a couple of chores, like helping with the meals or the laundry but it didn't seem too bad.

He was too tired to ask Dennis more about it though so he just said his goodnight and fell asleep after brushing his teeth.


	3. Sealed In Blood

Chapter Three

_**Sealed In Blood**_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry Potter universe. Everything you recognise belongs to J.K. Rowling.

**A/N:** Writing this chapter was a nightmare. I am not happy with the result but unfortunately I didn't see any other way to do it. Some people may notice that I messed up with the orphanage characters in this chapter. In canon Dennis was the boy in the cave and not the one with the rabbit but since I only noticed it when chapter two was already online I decided to keep it this way. I am still looking for a beta so apologies for the mistakes! Reviews are of course appreciated.

* * *

Life at the orphanage wasn't too bad. Every day they would wake up at seven to start the day. They received three meals a day and even though the food wasn't anything he would have dared cook for his relatives it wasn't too bad. The only meal Henry hated was breakfast which consisted of porridge and a glass of milk, but after going hungry for a couple mornings he ate it just like all the other children.

After breakfast most of the children would go to different rooms where some of the staff would teach them. They were divided into groups according to their age but he hadn't been allowed yet to join them because of his concussion.

He spend most of his days with the younger children and Martha. She had allowed him to get a book from the small library the orphanage had so at least he had something to read. After a couple of days Henry was starting to get bored, he only saw the children his age during meals. Talking wasn't allowed during meals, apparently it was considered bad manners. Most of the children kept quiet but every now and then they would whisper or laugh quietly.

So far Henry hadn't been able to really meet anyone his age, during breaks he wasn't allowed to go outside. He felt fine but apparently the police officer had told the matron he needed to rest to recuperate from his injuries.

His roommate Dennis was still distant. He wasn't mean but apparently didn't care about him at all. As if he didn't expect him to stay around long. Dennis had his own friends and hadn't bothered introducing him to them. He clearly didn't want anything to do with him so Henry left him alone.

Henry hoped it would get better once he was allowed to go outside during playtime, he was confident things would change once he could meet the other children. But for now Henry was going to the library. One of the toddlers just wouldn't stop crying and Martha had noticed he was getting annoyed.

Since he had finished his book earlier today she had told him to find a new one he could read, he didn't plan to go back to her once he found one but instead he would stay in the library to read it. Martha probably wouldn't notice and if she did she was too soft-hearted to punish him anyway.

Most of the books in the library were too difficult for him to read but he managed to find a story that looked interesting. It was called _The Adventures of Old Mr Toad_ and just like the title said it was about a toad going on adventures. The book was old and tattered, some pages were torn or had large stains on them but Henry didn't care.

He took the little book and went to the table near the window where he would be able to read it. He stopped in his tracks. The weird kid was already there. He had seen him a couple of times after his first day at the orphanage but he hadn't said a word to him yet. He had seen him talking to some of the staff but he rarely saw him interact with any of the children. Henry wasn't going to let the boy stop him from reading though so he continued and sat himself down opposite of him.

They didn't say anything to each other. He was reading his book but noticed Tom looking at him again. He had been doing that a lot the past days, every time they would see each other Tom would just stare as if he expected him to do something. Henry usually ignored it or looked away but he was tired of it and decided to face him.

He wasn't sure how long they were sitting there doing nothing but staring. His head was starting to hurt, a stabbing pain which came and went again. He ignored it, brushing it aside by sheer willpower. His eyes were starting to water but he wasn't going to be the first to look away.

"How do you do that?" the boy asked, eyes full of curiosity.

And just like that the moment was over and he blinked his eyes in surprise. Tom's voice was exactly how he had imagined, light and a bit on the high side.

"Tell me how do you do that?" Tom repeated.

"What are you talking about, how do I do what?" he was confused. He had no idea what Tom was talking about. Maybe he had been right when he had entertained the idea that Tom never spoke to him because he was crazy.

"You know what I'm talking about, how do you ignore it? None of the other children can,"

"Martha is expecting me back so I'm going to leave now," he said while standing up.

Tom grabbed his arm preventing him from leaving but he pulled it free and started to walk away.

"Wait you can do things can't you? You're different than the other children aren't you?"

He stopped walking and turned around. What was he talking about? Was he talking about the things he sometimes did?

"I can do things too you know. You're not the only one," Tom continued.

"What can you do?" he whispered.

"I can make the children do things if I want them to. What about you? I know you're different. I've been trying for days and I can't make you do anything at all. It feels as if you brush it aside somehow,"

"You've been giving me headaches for days? I thought I was still sick."

Was this even possible? He didn't think people could force others to do something without anyone realising but then again he hadn't exactly been doing normal things either. He had always known he was different, the whole time thing aside plenty of weird things had happened to him the last couple of years.

"I wasn't aware you were getting a headache. I was just trying to figure it out," Tom shrugged, he didn't sound the least bit apologetic.

"Well stop doing it, you're making my head hurt every day!" he almost shouted. He couldn't believe this weirdo would be the cause of his headaches. And did he mean he was inside his head? He didn't want anyone around in his head, it was his and nobody should be in it.

"If you want me to stop it you better tell me what you can do. Otherwise I'll just keep doing it every day," Tom threatened. Tom obviously wanted to know and he wasn't going to give up soon.

"Fine, I can make my hair grow," he snarled. He wasn't going to tell him any more than he had to.

"You can make your hair grow? That's pathetic. Isn't there anything else you can do? I told you what I can do, didn't I? Isn't that how it's supposed to go, I tell you something and you tell me?"

"I disappeared once and reappeared on the roof of my school," he guessed Tom was right. Even if Tom was kind of mean he did tell his secret first. That didn't mean he would tell him everything though.

"How did you do that?" the anger had disappeared from Tom's voice all that was left was curiosity.

"I'm not sure, I just wanted to disappear you know? How do you make them do things?" he tried changing the subject. He didn't know how he had managed to disappear but he certainly didn't want to talk about the reason why he had wanted to.

Tom nodded, as if he understood it was a sore subject to talk about. "I haven't been able to do it all the time and some children are harder than others. I just look at them and really think of them doing something. It doesn't work all the time and certainly not on adults," he explained.

Harry wasn't sure if Tom was telling him everything but perhaps it was only fair. He hadn't told Tom everything either.

"Have you told anyone else about what you can do?" he asked Tom.

"Of course not, they wouldn't understand. Have you?"

"No, but I think I met someone who knew. Maybe he could even do it himself. I never asked him and never saw him again after the first time," he was pretty sure the man on the roof had been like him. He hadn't noticed it back then but it seemed obvious the man hadn't been exactly normal.

"Well I don't think I've properly introduced myself yet. I'm Tom, nice to meet you,"

"I'm Henry, I just arrived here a couple of days ago but you probably didn't forget our previous meetings,"

"I apologise for my earlier behaviour. I'm not... fond of most of the other children,"

"Well I guess I can't really blame you for earlier. I wasn't really trying to be nice either," maybe Tom had the same problems he had faced back on Privet Drive.

He held out his hand which Tom immediately took.

"Do you want to go downstairs to eat lunch?" Tom asked him.

He nodded and together they walked out of the library. Even if none of the other children wanted to be his friend he had met Tom today, his first real friend.

* * *

Time seemed to pass in a blink of an eye. After his first week at the orphanage he had been allowed to join Tom and the other children their age in class. Most of the things they learned he already knew from his time at school. But Tom seemed to be ahead of the rest as well so the teachers mostly left them alone.

Many of the children still had problems reading or writing. Tom and him were allowed to go to the library during the periods the rest learned to write or read. Tom was a lot like him, he wasn't used to having a friend so the first couple of weeks they talked nonstop. Every little detail of their lives was discussed.

He told him about his relatives and how he was treated. The only thing he never mentioned was the time-travel. He didn't feel comfortable explaining it to Tom, some things just seemed too weird to talk about. It didn't matter anyway, he was here now and the past was better of forgotten.

Tom told him he was born in the orphanage and had never known any different. His mother had only been able to name him before she had passed away. He had never tried to get adopted. Tom didn't trust people easily and as far as he was concerned was better off without parents. Or at least that was what he told himself.

He secretly thought Tom did want a family but was too proud to admit it. Tom was a bit odd like that, at times he acted as if he was far older than his seven years. He loathed getting himself dirty and was a freak when it came to cleaning and keeping his room tidy. He also hated being wrong.

The first couple of months they had often gotten into arguments because they both believed they were right. They were both too proud to admit their wrongs so they fought, verbally of course because of Tom's phobia, until they were too tired to keep going. In the end they learned to get along, most of the time, by respecting each other's ideas and opinions.

When they were alone in the library or in one of their rooms they would often discuss their 'gifts' and try to practice them. Tom often used him as practice dummy. While Tom couldn't make him do anything he said it improved his concentration. The headaches became less hurtful after a couple of tries. It only bothered him if Tom tried to do it for longer periods.

As for himself. He hadn't been able to disappear again, no matter how hard he tried. While he was disappointed he wasn't able to do it again he did manage to do something else.

He had managed to make his hair and even his fingernails grow. It took a while but in the end even Tom could see a notable difference. Not that Tom was impressed, he still thought it was stupid and a pretty useless gift to have.

Getting his hair and nails to shorten was a bit of a problem. The hair was fixed after a couple of hours but it tired him out too much to even try his nails. In the end he had found an old nail clipper in one of the bathrooms.

The first months at the orphanage were great for Henry. The other children left him alone, classes were easy and he found a friend in Tom. Every now and then people would visit to adopt one of the children or new children would come to live with them.

It was almost the end of winter when a police officer brought a new boy. Eric was a year or two older than them and had short brown hair. He was about the same height as Tom but his bulky frame made the rest of them look like ants.

When he had first seen Eric he had immediately known what kind of person he was. The way he walked and looked at the other children reminded him of Dudley. His beady eyes looking down on them as if he expected them to look away.

Maybe it was because they were always together and didn't talk to the other children if they could avoid it. Or maybe it was just because he wanted to but it didn't take long before Eric noticed them and decided they were his perfect victims.

At first they ignored it, Eric was new and probably didn't know any better. It were mostly harmless pranks, some spilled milk on their clothes or their writing utensils 'disappearing'. Nothing they couldn't deal with on their own and it wasn't like they were the only children it happened to. Martha had told them Eric came from a bad home and had trouble to adapt.

He didn't think that was a very good reason to bully other people though. His life hadn't been pretty either but he didn't prank the other children. None of the children at the orphanage had good experiences. He had woken up several times during his first weeks because Dennis was crying in his sleep.

After his first year the orphanage got steadily worse, according to Martha the funds were at an all-time low and several of the staff had to leave. He wasn't sure why the funds were so low, it wasn't like they were rich before but now they wouldn't even get new clothes for Christmas.

Luckily he hadn't grown too much so his red sweater still fit but Tom wasn't so lucky. Not that it really mattered. Tom had chosen even more grey clothes for Christmas as if the uniform wasn't bad enough already. At least he had picked a nice dark red sweater which he wore to church every Sunday.

Before the orphanage he had never gone to church but every Sunday all orphanage children would walk a couple of miles to the nearest church. At first he had liked the idea of a God existing and watching over them but in the end he couldn't believe there really was one. Admittedly Tom had come up with better arguments then him when discussing the possibility of a God existing but he still thought God wouldn't allow people to eat porridge if he was real.

Since funds were low and no new clothing would be available in the near future they staff, or what was left of it, had taught them how to sew. Tom apparently already knew which really wasn't that much of a surprise but for him it was a whole new experience. He quite enjoyed it and could soon be seen sitting outside sewing the few runes he still remembered onto cuffs and collars.

The other boys often made fun at him but Tom didn't seem to care, he had looked oddly for a minute but was more interested in what the different runes meant instead of his new hobby. Martha was delighted with his new hobby. She had tried to make him do the laundry chores but he had refused politely. He had done enough laundry for the Dursleys besides laundry was a women's job.

Tom had explained to him that it was the girls task to take care of the household when they got married so their chores were mainly cooking and cleaning. Henry was happy to be a boy. Compared to the girls their chores were fun like pulling weeds or organising the library. At least he had understood why the boys made fun of his sewing after Tom's explanation. Henry figured if he was manly enough it wouldn't matter if he happened to like sewing. And it wasn't as if he wanted to sew butterflies on his clothes.

Eric didn't agree with him. Once he noticed Henry sewing he had started making fun of them even more than before. Martha wasn't able to stop Eric from bullying because of the shortage in staff. There really wasn't much they could do but take it. Some of the other children had joined Eric making it impossible for Tom to stop it. He had tried a couple of times but he couldn't focus enough with multiple children around.

It got steadily worse over time up to the point Eric and his friends would push them in the hallways making them fall more than once. They had tried complaining to the matron but according to her they had to learn to stand up for themselves if they wanted to achieve anything in their lives.

Henry didn't know how they were supposed to do that. They couldn't exactly fight them, Eric and his friends were not only older than them but also larger. The other children wouldn't help them either, most of them laughed or tried their best to ignore it.

He was sure Dennis had even helped Eric a couple of time to get in their room. His clothes often 'disappeared' only for Henry to find them again outside or in some unused room. When he confronted Dennis about it he ignored him as usual but he had seen him smiling before turning around.

Henry wasn't going to ignore it. A couple of months ago Dennis had found a small rabbit on the way to the church. Martha had allowed him to keep it as long as it didn't stay inside during the nights. Dennis often kept it in their room, allowing it to run around and making everything dirty. Henry was sure the animal hated him, it always soiled his side of the room and Dennis was too lazy to clean up after it.

It had almost been too easy to take his revenge. They had made sure everyone thought they went to the library together while in reality only Tom went. Henry had gone outside to take the disgusting animal out of his pen before taking a stone and hitting it on the head. He had felt bad for a moment but figured the rabbit had deserved it.

He had taken the dead rabbit back inside, tied a rope around its neck and hung it from the rafters. No more than fifteen minutes later he was back in the library, sitting at a table with Tom pretending to be reading while both smiling, the excitement running through their veins.

Dennis had been devastated when his precious Mr Snuffles had been found. He had tried blaming Henry. Henry hadn't exactly hidden his distaste for the animal but according to Mrs Cole there was no evidence whatsoever. In the end Mrs Cole did allow Dennis to change rooms to avoid any fighting between them. She decide to switch Dennis with Tom so perhaps she wasn't blind when it came to the bullying the two boys underwent.

In the end things couldn't have gone better for Henry and Tom. They had gotten rid of the stupid rabbit and they even managed to become roommates. The bullying didn't stop of course but at least it was easier to look out for each other's belongings now.

* * *

_June 1936_

Summer was approaching rapidly. It seemed as if it hadn't rained for the past two months. Everything was dry and even the plants were starting to suffer from the heat. Henry hoped it would rain soon. Unlike Tom he had never liked the heat that came with summer. He much preferred the rain and cold of winter.

He guessed it was a bit ironic that Tom, who was born during winter would prefer summer and he who was born at the end of July would enjoy the coldness of winter. Over the years they had learned they were often exact opposites. While Tom enjoyed studying Henry would rather be lazy. Tom wanted everything to be neat and tidy while Henry loved to make everything messy.

It was strange that they still got along so well. Their room was truly an example of how well they could compromise. Tom's side was spotless as if it was never used while Harry's side was full of clutter. His bed sheets lay in a pile at the end of his bed, his pillow had disappeared without leaving a trace but he was sure he would find it again under his bed. It couldn't exactly have gone very far in their small room.

While Henry hated the heat there was one positive thing about summer. They would be going on their yearly visit to the beach. Neither Henry or Tom really liked swimming or the masses of sand but after years of bullying they had finally figured out what they could do about it.

"Are you sure everything will go as planned?" he asked Tom. He was nervous if things went bad they would be in a lot of trouble.

"Of course it will. We made sure to think of everything. We just have to make sure nobody will see us entering or leaving," Tom replied curtly.

Henry nodded. He didn't blame Tom for being curt they were both nervous and excited. They had been planning for months ever since they discovered the cave during their last visit.

"Let's go, it's almost time to leave. And stop looking like a fool, they'll notice something is up if you keep grinning like that," Tom told him before taking their small bag and leaving the room.

Henry tried to look as normal as he could before leaving as well. Tom was right the other children would notice immediately if they acted different.

The trip to the sea side took a couple of hours by bus. Tom had to elbow him a couple of times because he couldn't sit still. They had been dropping subtle hints about the cave for weeks now. They had told several of the younger children it was haunted but legend said a treasure was hidden inside.

It hadn't taken more than a week before they had heard Eric and his friends discussing it. Eric was boasting to his new girlfriend Amy that he would find the treasure and share it with her. Several other boys were saying they would look for it as well but Henry and Tom were hoping to scare them away.

Once they arrived at the beach Tom and Henry made sure Martha and Mrs Cole saw them swimming before sneaking off towards the cave. It took a while before they reached it but they were sure nobody else was there yet. As far as they knew none of the other children had ever been inside the cave yet or even knew where it was.

The cave was mostly empty now, it was connected to the sea but with low tide the ground was almost dry. It was quite large and dark making it impossible to see the end of it. They had to be careful while manoeuvring inside. The rocks were still wet and slippery and the little light made it hard for them to see. They hid behind one of the larger rocks at the end of the cave making sure they could see the entrance but nobody could see them.

They waited for an hour in silence before their patience was finally rewarded. They could see four people at the entrance. One of them was clearly Eric, he had grown even bigger since he first arrived making him almost twice the size as his girlfriend Amy who stood next to him. Henry couldn't recognise the other two from so far away, perhaps Tom could with his better eyesight but he couldn't ask at the moment.

They were talking. Henry could hear bits of it but the echo made it impossible to hear their whole conversation. It seemed as if all of them would be going inside which wasn't according to plan but they had discussed several ways to scare them off.

Eric was ahead of the group, almost crawling to make sure he didn't slip. Amy followed right behind him, she had obviously come to the same conclusion and was also using both hands and feet. The other two weren't so smart though, they obviously didn't want to get dirty and were balancing on their feet, quite often slipping.

Tom threw a rock, the echo making it sound as if something was moving inside the cave. One of the boys tripped and fell. He didn't fall hard but it was obvious by his moaning and crying his ankle was hurt. He could hear Eric telling them to go back to the beach and keep quiet about where they were. It was obvious Eric was hoping to find the treasure and didn't plan on sharing it with any of the adults.

The boys both left, unfortunately Amy stayed and continued with Eric. They hadn't planned to do anything to Amy but after looking at each other it was clear they wouldn't stop now. Tom pointed at him and at the rocks on their right. Henry knew what Tom wanted him to do. He took one of the smaller rocks in his hand before moving as quietly as he could. Tom did the same and went to the other side.

He was almost upon them when he took a wrong step and Eric noticed him. Before he could say anything or cry out Tom was on him trying his best to take him down. Henry froze for a second before jumping into action and hitting Amy on the head. She obviously wasn't expecting it because she didn't even try to defend herself. She fell down like a ragdoll. Henry didn't bother to see if she was still breathing and tried to do the same with Eric.

Eric put up a fight before Tom finally managed to hit him on the head with his own rock. They were both panting as if they had run a marathon while in reality it was over in less than a minute. They took a moment to rest before tying Eric up with some rope they had brought along. Amy was still breathing but unconscious so they didn't bother tying her up. If she woke up they could always hit her again.

Once they were sure Eric couldn't get loose Henry slapped him to wake him up. It took a couple of tries before Eric finally opened one of his eyes. It was clear he didn't know where he was. He looked around dazed as if in a dream before he noticed Amy a couple of feet behind them.

"What are you doing? Have you gone insane," he yelled at them.

Henry smiled while Tom ignored him.

"Let me go, I need to help her!"

"Help her? Why? Do you really care?" Henry asked. He didn't believe Eric wanted to help her, he would probably run off the moment he was free.

"Of course I care, she's my girlfriend. Now let me go or you'll regret it,"

Tom laughed, light and carefree as if Eric had said something funny.

"Now that's where you're wrong. We won't regret anything now you on the other hand. You'll wish you had never met us," Tom threatened.

"Do it Tom, show him what you can do," Henry couldn't stand still. He was excited to see what Tom had been practicing for years.

Tom sat down on the rocks to make himself comfortable before looking at Eric. Minutes passed and nothing seemed to be happening. Henry was starting to get disappointed, Tom had promised him he would make Eric regret everything. He took his rock back in his hand, if Tom couldn't do it he was sure he could.

Before he could do anything though Eric started twitching. It wasn't hard at first but it gradually got worse until he started screaming. Tom didn't stop whatever he was doing and Eric started convulsing. The ropes the only thing keeping him somewhat in place. Henry took a piece of cloth from there bag before stuffing it in his mouth. He didn't want anyone to hear Eric scream and investigate. It wouldn't do to get caught now that they could finally take their revenge.

Eric had started to bang his head on the floors. Since he was already lying down he couldn't hurt himself too much but blood was still starting to appear from several cuts on his head.

"What.. What are you doing?" he heard a weak voice behind him. Apparently Amy had woken up from his blow to her head earlier. He looked at Tom and Eric and then back to Amy. It didn't seem as if he could do anything else to Eric but Amy hadn't exactly been nice to him either.

He couldn't do anything like Tom was doing to Eric but he knew he had a pretty good kick from the couple times he had played soccer. All of the frustration and anger came out and he couldn't stop himself after the first kick in her side. Amy cried out and begged him to stop but they hadn't stopped either when he has asked them. After a couple of minutes Amy became quiet again, perhaps he shouldn't have kicked her in the head but it felt too good. He noticed Eric had stopped screaming as well.

He turned around to see Tom sitting on the ground panting but with a huge smile on his face. He went over and sat himself next to him. He closed his eyes, enjoying the rush of adrenaline still coursing through his body. He felt great, no more anger or frustration just a sense of tranquillity.

"We could take on the world you know. Nothing could stop us if we work together," Tom broke the silence.

Henry opened one of his eyes and looked at him. "What if I don't want to?" he asked.

"Don't be ridiculous. I know what you want. We just need to stick together,"

"Together? Yeah sure why not," he wasn't planning on leaving Tom soon anyway, they had nowhere to go until they were at least sixteen.

"Swear it," Tom held out his hand. Apparently it was more important to him then Henry thought.

Henry took his hand, "I swear" he solemnly said. He noticed both their hands had somehow gotten blood on them. He was surprised Tom hadn't tried cleaning them yet. They let go again and sat in silence for a couple more minutes.

"Is he dead?" Henry asked. He hadn't seen Eric move since Tom had done his thing.

"No I don't think so he's just unconscious. He'll probably wake up soon,"

"Should we leave before he does?"

"No we don't want him blabbing to everyone about what happened,"

Henry wasn't sure how they could prevent them from talking unless they cut off their tongues but he knew that didn't stop them from pointing the finger at them.

"We could leave them here, it should be high tide soon. If we're lucky nobody will notice them missing until it's too late," Henry suggested. He didn't care what happened to them. After all they never cared about him either. In his eyes they deserved everything they got and worse.

Tom seemed to consider it for a moment but in the end shook his head, "we can't be sure they won't be found."

"We.. we won't tell I promise" apparently Eric had woken up during their discussion. He didn't look too well. His face was swollen from the repeated banging. Pain wasn't the dominant feature on his face though it was fear. He seemed to avoid looking at Tom at all as if he was afraid it would happen all over.

"If you tell any of the adults, we'll kill you' Tom threatened.

"No I swear, I won't tell!"

"Let's go Tom, I want to clean up a bit before we have to go back to the orphanage,"

They carefully walked away from Eric and the sill unconscious Amy.

"Wait, how am I supposed to get loose?" he yelled after them.

"Use a rock or something, you better hurry up though it will be high time soon!" Henry yelled back before he started whistling.

"Stop whistling. It's annoying and I don't think anyone can be any worse at it than you,"

"Don't spoil the mood Tom. We did it!"

"You're right but you better act innocent. It's not too late yet to get caught," Tom grinned.

They managed to get rid of the few blood splatters before returning to the beach. Martha looked at them for a moment but it didn't seem as if she knew what they had done.

In the end it appeared Eric had managed to get loose and wake Amy up because they turned up an hour or so later. Henry was disappointed they had managed to get out but was satisfied with the result.

Martha had panicked when she saw them. Tom and Henry were too far away to hear what was being said but they noticed Eric looking at them every now and then until they were taken away to see a doctor.

A couple of days later it appeared as if Eric had kept his word. None of the staff had accused them of anything. Henry felt a burden fall of his shoulders, he had worried Eric or Amy would talk. They had to stay at the hospital for a couple of days, apparently they were worse off than Henry or Tom had thought.

When they did come back neither Amy or Eric would look at them. They did their best to ignore them and if they couldn't avoid looking at them it was with fear in their eyes.

The staff at the orphanage noticed but kept quiet. None of the other children bothered them anymore, it appeared Eric or Amy had slipped up and told them something but it seemed nobody wanted to anger them by asking.

A month later they celebrated Henry's tenth birthday as if nothing had happened. He even received a gift from Eric and Amy. Maybe he could learn to love summer after all.


	4. Into The Abyss

Chapter Four

_**Into The Abyss**_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry Potter universe. Everything you recognise belongs to J.K. Rowling.

**A/N:** I would like to thank everyone who has put the story on his favourite list or reviewed so far. I truly appreciate the response and the advice you give me. After this chapter we will finally be arriving in Hogwarts. It took a while to get there but I didn't want to rush it by skipping all the events in the orphanage. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, reviews are appreciated!

On a side note: I still need a beta.

* * *

_January 1937_

Albus Dumbledore looked at the large building across the street. It looked grim, the high railings made it appear dreary. The rain didn't help either, the dark sky a sharp contrast to what was once a white building. It had turned grey over the years. As if nobody had bothered to repaint it the last couple of years.

He wasn't here for the building itself though but for one of the children inside it. He checked the address again, nodded and crossed the street. The courtyard was empty, the rain making it impossible to sit outside. He quickly looked himself over, making sure he was presentable before knocking on the door.

He could hear noise inside but nobody seemed to have heard him. He looked around before spotting a small button on the wall next to the door. He pressed it and could immediately hear a bell ringing inside. This time someone had obviously heard him and the door opened.

A young girl stood in the doorway. She looked a bit scruffy but he wasn't sure if this was because of a lack of funds or because it was a muggle trend. Muggles often did the strangest things. He noticed the girl was looking at him with a bewildered look on her face. He looked down again, not sure why she was looking at him like that. He was wearing a muggle suit, the seamstress had insisted it looked fabulous on him. Perhaps she had been wrong and it had gone out of fashion? If there was anything wrong with his clothes it was too late to change now. He looked at the girl again and smiled.

"Hello, my name is Albus Dumbledore. Would it be possible to speak to the headmaster?" he asked.

The girls eyes grew even bigger. He scratched his beard starting to feel uncomfortable with the silence. It seemed to shake her out of her stupor.

"Follow me please, we don't have a headmaster but I'll take you to Mrs Cole. She's the matron,"

They walked inside in silence. Albus could hear several voices in a couple of the rooms they passed. It seemed some of the children were playing a game involving a lot of laughter and yelling. A smile appeared on his face, you could always gauge a child's happiness by his laughter.

They arrived in a waiting room with a door to what he assumed was Mrs Coles office. He took a seat while the girl went to knock at the door. She opened the door, said something and left again the way they had come. A couple of minutes later a tired looking women opened the door of the office. She looked him over before frowning.

"I am Mrs Cole the matron of this orphanage. How can I help you?" she held out her hand.

"Albus Dumbledore, it's a pleasure to meet you," He took her hand. For a second he wondered if he should kiss it or shake it. In the end he just shook it, he had heard most muggles didn't kiss a woman's hand anymore.

The office looked as mismatched as the waiting room had been. The desk and chairs were old and used but like everything he had seen in the orphanage it seemed clean and well maintained.

Mrs Cole looked at him expectantly making him quickly take his seat in one of the chairs.

"I'm here in relation to one of your charges. I am a professor at Hogwarts boarding school. It seems Tom Marvolo Riddle was accepted to join us next year,"

"We don't have any funds to send Tom to your school. Funding has been low the past years, all our children are taught here at the orphanage," she answered.

"Ah that won't be a problem. The financial aspect has already been taken care of. His family enrolled him before he was even born," it was a lie of course. The boy would receive an allowance from a fund Hogwarts kept for orphans. The woman didn't need to know that however.

"Tom Riddle doesn't have any family. His mother died here at the orphanage. If he had any family that cared about him he wouldn't be here now would he?"

"His grandfather set up the fund for his education before he passed away. I'm afraid we don't know if he has any other relatives left," it seemed the woman was suspicious. He guessed it didn't happen every day that strangers visited the orphanage to offer one of the children a place at their school.

"And you're sure you will take Tom?" she asked. She appeared surprised and hopeful Albus wondered if there was anything wrong with the boy.

"Yes, we're sure. Is there anything wrong with the boy?" he narrowed his eyes. He would know if she lied to him

"Wrong? No, not exactly. He's a smart boy, I don't think we have anyone more intelligent than him. Very respectful towards his elders as well but he scares the other children,"

"You mean he's a bully?"

"I think he must be, but it's very hard to catch him at it. There have been incidents… Nasty things…"

He nodded for her to continue.

"Martha says they had nothing to do with it but the other staff isn't so sure any more. Dennis his rabbit didn't hang itself from the rafters now did it? And Eric and Amy still won't tell what happened to them in that cave. All the staff knows is that after the incident the children started being very careful around the boys,"

"They?"

"Oh yes, Tom and Henry. Where one goes the other follows. Henry came to us a couple years ago. Police thinks his family abandoned him. He and Tom have been together ever since. They share a room now. After the rabbit incident Dennis didn't want to sleep anywhere near Henry. I don't suppose you'll be allowing Henry to join at your school?"

"Unfortunately it's not that easy ma'am but perhaps I could talk to Tom?" of course muggles couldn't be allowed at Hogwarts but he couldn't tell her that.

He hoped the Martha women was correct and the boys had nothing to do with the incidents. They didn't need a troublemaker at Hogwarts, they had enough problems already trying to integrate muggle-borns.

"Of course, they should be in their room or in the library. They spend most of their time there,"

Mrs Cole took him to the third floor where several bedrooms were located. On the way they passed several children running around, playing games or sitting on their bed. They looked at him when they passed as if they weren't used to strangers walking the halls. He smiled and waved at them before continuing his way.

Near the end of the hallway they stopped before one of the closed rooms. Mrs Cole knocked once before opening the door. The inside was small. Two beds, a small table and two matching chairs. There were two boys inside, one was sitting on a chair near the window while the other was lying on one of the beds.

"Tom, this is professor Dumbledore. He would like to talk to you for a couple of minutes," she addressed the boy at the window

"You should probably wait outside Henry, this doesn't concern you." She told the other boy before turning around and walking away again. For a second he saw anger in the boy's eyes before he masked it with a smile. He stood up and turned to look at Tom.

"I don't mind if he stays, do you?" Tom asked him. He was startled, he had been looking at Henry trying to figure out why he seemed so familiar.

"I don't think that's such a good idea Tom,"

Tom and Henry looked at each other before Henry turned around and strode out of the room. Tom looked at his retreating figure before turning his eyes back on the older man.

Albus wasn't sure what to do, he wasn't used to children ignoring him. Hadn't the matron told him he was respectful to his elders? Tom was watching him, expecting him to start talking.

He coughed, thinking of how he could best do this. He knew he hadn't made a good impression by telling the other child to leave but Tom would certainly understand after their conversation.

"Are you a doctor?" Tom asked him, his voice guarded, before he could say anything. "I'm not crazy," he continued.

"I'm not a doctor Tom, I'm here to talk to you. You've been accepted at Hogwarts, it's a boarding school in Scotland."

"What kind of school? I've never applied for any," Tom narrowed his eyes.

"It's a special kind of school. Haven't you noticed that sometimes strange things happen around you, let's say almost magical?"

"If you're talking about the things we can do, we already know."

"We? Have you told your friend?"

"He can do it as well," Tom shrugged. If the man was telling the truth there was no reason to lie about Henry. Besides if the man was here to take him away he was going to make sure Henry was following. Even if that meant it was a one way ticket to the nuthouse.

"Oh my, well that certainly changes things. Why don't we get Henry to join us again," he had barely finished his sentence before the door opened again and the boy in question walked inside again. Perhaps walked wasn't exactly the right word, it was more falling and stumbling instead of walking.

Albus was confused, he was sure he had cast a weak locking charm on the door to prevent anyone coming inside. The boy looked a bit flushed as if he had just finished a strenuous exercise. It wouldn't have been a problem for even a first year to break the charm but for someone with no wand it would certainly be harder to do.

The boy, Henry he recalled, looked at door with a dark look on his face and then at him. He seemed aware Albus had done something to it.

It was strange that these boys had no previous magical education, they appeared to already know a bit about magic yet they didn't have any magical relatives who could have taught them. If they had any relatives they wouldn't be living here. No matter how poor a wizard was he wouldn't leave his family in a muggle orphanage.

He wondered when they had realised they were different from the others. Most of the time muggle-borns didn't know they were different until someone told them. Their muggle parents ignoring what they couldn't explain or understand. Unlike most muggle-borns however it seemed these boys had found each other and noticed.

"Who are you?" Henry asked, startling him yet again. He really needed to stop daydreaming and start paying attention.

"My apologies, my name is professor Dumbledore. Tell me how old are you now Henry?"

"I'm ten sir. Why are you here?"

Ah that would certainly explain why he didn't have a letter for him yet. He was probably on the list to join Hogwarts as well the coming year but the letters were only send twice a year. Once during the Christmas holidays and once during summer. The professors just didn't have time to visit all the muggleborn children during the school year.

"I'm here on behalf of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It appears you're both wizards such as myself,"

"Prove it," Henry wasn't going to believe a word of what the man said without any proof.

He didn't like the professor. He seemed cheerful enough, his eyes twinkling but Henry knew he had tried to keep him out of the room. The second he had left the room he had tried to leave the door open a crack. The door had closed though almost hurting his fingers in the process. Once it was closed Henry hadn't been able to open it anymore. He had pulled on the handle with all his might but it wouldn't open at all. Figuring he wouldn't be able to open it by force alone he forced his will on it.

He had practised focussing his willpower onto something over the years. He still wasn't able to do what Tom could but he did manage other things such as opening a locked door or moving small things with just his mind. Once he had been so angry he had managed to make the lights explode, Tom had stopped teasing him about his lack of gifts after that.

The door had been difficult but not impossible. He had even managed to enter right on time to hear the old man telling Tom he was allowed to join again.

"What would you like me to prove?"

"Prove that you're like us," Tom continued

Henry just nodded.

Albus was taken aback for a moment. It was the first time someone had asked him to prove himself so outright. They were used to showing a piece of innocent magic to the muggle-borns and their family to show what they would learn at Hogwarts but it seemed he wouldn't be able to talk to these two without proving himself first. Albus decided he would show them something else then a transfigured flower. A flick of his wand and a burning bed later both boys were looking at him with fascination in their eyes.

"Will we learn how to do that?" Henry asked with a voice filled with wonder.

"That and much more. Hogwarts is the premier school for young witches and wizards in the world," Albus replied. He wasn't sure what to think of these children. He had seen the anger and mistrust in their eyes before it turned into fascination.

He was afraid the staff had been right in their assumptions of them. Perhaps they had unknowingly been using accidental magic to get their way. He would have to keep an eye on them once they went to Hogwarts.

"We don't have any money to go to your school," Tom pointed out.

"It's already take care of. Hogwarts has a fund for orphans like you. You'll both get a yearly allowance to buy your books, clothes and all the other things you require. I have a list here with me with all the things you'll need for your first year." He handed the official envelope over to Tom who carefully opened it after a thorough exam.

"When will I get a letter?"

"I'm afraid we weren't aware the two of you lived together Henry. Wizards receive their letter by owl on their birthday but we visit the muggle-borns twice a year to give their letter personally. Yours should arrive during summer."

"What's a muggle-born?" Tom had never heard of the word before.

"Ah muggle-borns are wizards and witches born to muggle parents. We call the people who can't do magic muggles. It's nothing important really, it doesn't make a difference whether your parents can do magic or not," Albus smiled at them, his worries forgotten for now.

They talked for another hour, both boys asking questions about what they would learn, what Hogwarts looked like. The usual questions muggle-borns asked while Albus did his best to answer them all. They were enthusiastic and Albus couldn't help but feel happy for them as well, children were always easier to please. The only thing he noticed was that they never seemed to talk about themselves.

Perhaps it was a coincidence but Albus thought it strange neither of them ever talked about any of the accidental magic they did. Most muggle-borns would tell about several occasions strange things had happened around them they had not been able to explain at the time but now made sense. Tom and Henry were fascinated but didn't seem that surprised at all.

"Where are we supposed to get our supplies," Tom asked when it was obvious Professor Dumbledore would be leaving.

"Someone from Hogwarts will visit in a couple of days to take you to Diagon Alley. You can buy everything you'll need there. Most of the muggle-borns visit the Alley in small groups so you'll be able to meet several of your future classmates."

"Can I go as well?" Henry asked subdued. He didn't want to wait until summer before he was able to go. Tom was his friend but he knew he wouldn't wait until summer before going.

"I'll explain to the teacher that will accompany you that day that an exception should be made for you Henry. After all it wouldn't be fair for Tom to be able buy his supplies if you weren't allowed to go as well,"

Albus Dumbledore left soon after. He notified the matron that Henry would be joining them as well. She seemed satisfied both boys would be leaving the orphanage. It lessened a bit once he told them they would be returning during summer but she still managed a smile and shook his hand before he left.

Once outside Albus looked back to the grey building. He felt conflicted, both boys had seemed happy enough and yet he felt as if he was missing something. He shook his head to clear his mind and continued down the street to find a spot to apparate back to Hogwarts.

He never noticed the two boys following him with their eyes from a small window on the third floor until he disappeared from their view. The turned away from the window, smiled at each other and prepared for bed in silence. Both dreamt of how their life would be changing soon.

* * *

Professor Dumbledore had told the truth when visiting because a couple days later another teacher showed up during the weekend. The woman was only a head or two taller than them and appeared to be quite old.

Professor Merrythought explained she was the Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts. They had no idea what the Dark Arts were but according to her there wasn't enough time for a detailed explanation.

Professor Merrythought gave both of them a pouch which held several bronze, silver and golden coins. According to the Professor they were called Knuts, Sickles and Galleons in the wizarding world. She continued explaining what they were worth and how to use them. It seemed they would have to be careful not to spend too much , the allowance was just enough to allow them to buy their necessities.

"You have to buy your wand the first year which makes the allowance a bit on the tight side. I've been saying for years they should allow a larger allowance for first years but nobody ever seems to listen to me,"

The Professor seemed more upset about it than they were. It didn't really matter to them whether they had a lot of money, they were used to make due with little.

When they were finally ready to leave on their trip the other children looked at them jealously. It hadn't taken long before everyone had heard they would be going to a private boarding school. Martha had congratulated them, saying they deserved it but the other staff and children hadn't reacted so well. Most of the children were both relieved and jealous at the same time while the staff just seemed happy to be rid of them.

"We're going to have to walk for a while. I could apparate but taking the two of you with me wouldn't be a pleasant first experience," Professor Merrythought told them once they were outside and away from curious eyes and ears.

Henry just nodded while Tom asked her what apparition was. Professor Merrythought seemed delighted with Tom's questions and answered them all with zeal. To Henry it seemed fascinating to be able to disappear and appear again on another spot all in the blink of an eye.

According to Professor Merrythought almost everything was possible with magic, you just had to know how to do it. Henry thought their own gifts seemed inferior to all the things Merrythought was describing. Professor Dumbledore had also acted as if using their gifts was nothing special.

Perhaps Tom and he weren't as special as they had once thought, maybe all wizards and witches could do the things they did. Henry wasn't sure if he liked that idea. He was used to being the better one, in the other orphanage children were inferior compared to them. What if they would be the inferior ones once they arrived at Hogwarts?

Henry was so lost in his thoughts he hadn't noticed how long they had been walking before stopping in front of an old and dirty looking pub.

"Here we are boys, the muggle entrance into Diagon Alley." Professor Merrythought gushed. It seemed she expected them to be in awe of the dirty building. Henry was confused, had it been a joke after all? A look at Tom and Henry knew he was thinking the same.

"Right, I forgot you don't know how it works. Well come on, follow me we'll be there in a minute," Merrythought said before ushering them inside.

The inside of the pub at least seemed marginally cleaner than the outside. There were a couple of people sitting at some of the tables drinking or eating. The old man behind the bar looked up when they entered before greeting Professor Merrythought.

They passed the bar before going inside a smaller room at the end of the building. Henry was yet again confused. There didn't appear to be anything inside the room he was just going to ask why they were here when Professor Merrythought spoke,

"You'll need a wand the next time you want to come this way but for now just look and try to remember."

She took her wand and started tapping several of the bricks on the wall with it. Nothing seemed to happen until the wall seemed to open for them.

He was staring. A quick look at Tom confirmed he wasn't the only one with his mouth hanging open.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley!"

They just nodded. Whatever it was they had been expecting this wasn't it. In front of them was a street bustling with activity. Families going from one shop to another, obviously celebrating the Christmas holidays by the numerous red and green scarves many were wearing.

"Close your mouths and stay close to me. You don't want to get lost now,"

They both followed her, they weren't sure where she was taking them so they kept as close as possible without touching her. Henry looked at everything in wonder. The shops were filled with people walking in and out, the children pulling their parents to the next one. Henry wasn't used to so many people around him. He noticed Tom wasn't comfortable with the bustle of activity either. Henry figured Tom probably felt worse than him, he didn't enjoy other people around him, let alone socialise with them.

Henry tried to look as confident as he could which wasn't easy considering they stood out like sore thumbs. Every now and then he would notice some of the people glancing at them before looking away with a sneer on their face. Henry had no idea why until he noticed them looking at their clothes.

Their clothes were in sharp contrast with the ones the wizards were wearing. It appeared wizards and witches wore clothes nothing alike the ones they received at the orphanage. The men wore what seemed old fashioned suits with some sort of robe over it while the women walked around in dresses or skirts. To Henry it seemed very old fashioned as if time had stopped going forward in the Alley.

When Henry had first arrived in 1933 the clothes had caught him off guard but compared to what the wizards and witches were wearing it was a small adjustment. If Henry was honest he had to admit he liked the clothes. They reminded him of the drawings in some of the older books of high class ladies and gentleman.

Professor Merrythought led them to one of the shops.

"We'll get the seamstress started on your uniforms first. All students are required to wear the same uniform. There are of course some differences in the materials but unfortunately as I said before we're on a tight budget," the professor said.

"Can't we save on the clothes?" Tom asked. Henry figured Tom wanted to save money on clothes so he would be able to buy more books.

"There are some second-hand stores around but I wouldn't advise it. You don't want to make a bad impression when you join Hogwarts,"

Henry nodded, he had no wish to be ostracised on his first day because his clothes weren't up to the standards.

Tom grumbled but agreed as well after a dark look from Henry. He wouldn't let Tom ruin it. He didn't care about the other children at the orphanage but Hogwarts would be a fresh start with people like them and he planned to make the best of it.

Getting their measurements was an adventure on itself.

The shop wasn't as busy as some of the others appeared to be. There was already a family being helped by one of the seamstresses when they entered. A boy around their age was standing on one of the stools looking bored while the seamstress appeared to be measuring every possible angle.

"Welcome to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, how may I help you?" one of the younger woman came to them.

"We're here to buy some Hogwarts uniforms for these two lads,"

"Of course, what is their budget if I may ask?" the woman asked after looking them over. It was obvious she wasn't impressed by what she saw, probably noticing the poor quality of their clothes.

Henry was starting to become angry, he noticed the family looking at them when they heard the woman's question. Professor Merrythought seemed offended as well because she replied briskly that they were both orphans.

The woman stammered an apology but it was already too late. The family smirked when they noticed their discomfort. Henry and Tom weren't impressed however and sneered back. The child on the stool frowned for a moment before smirking again, this time though Henry didn't think it was meant as patronizing as the first time.

They waited in silence for a couple of minutes before the seamstress was finished measuring the boy and the family left after agreeing to pick the clothing up later that day.

They were made to stand on the stools, apparently it was easier to take measurements that way. In contrast to the other woman the seamstress was friendly. Henry wasn't sure what her job was exactly since the measuring tape moved on its own but he wasn't going to complain. Watching the tape fly through the air and curl around his arms and torso was fascinating. Henry wondered how it was able to move at all. The seamstress didn't appear to be using a wand or give it any directions.

"Did you create these?" the seamstress asked, startling Henry out of his thoughts.

She was pointing at some of the runes he had sewn onto his collar. Henry nodded, not really in the mood to talk to her.

"They're lovely. I always loved Ancient Runes at Hogwarts. I'll give you some thread so you can sew new ones on your uniform," she continued.

"I'll pay for it," he didn't want her to think he was in her debt.

"Nonsense, consider it a gift." It was clear she wouldn't accept any payment from him.

"Well we're all done. All that's left now is making the clothes,"

"What if we grow during the summer?" Tom asked. Henry hadn't thought of that yet, the clothes probably wouldn't fit anymore when school started.

"They're charmed of course. They will adjust if you grow during the year. The charms make the clothes less sturdy though so you'll need to come back for new ones before you start your second year," the seamstress explained.

"And that is also one of the reasons I didn't take you to the second-hand clothes store," Professor Merrythought cut in.

Henry was glad the professor was there to help them. Without her they probably would have bought second-hand clothes. They would have looked ridiculous if they had grown during the school year, unable to buy new ones.

Making the clothes apparently took longer than taking measurements. They would have to wait until the afternoon before they could pick up their clothes. Henry was disappointed, he had hoped to be able to wear his clothes on leaving the shop. He didn't feel comfortable walking around in his muggle clothing, they made it obvious they were different.

"Now that the clothes are taken care of let's get to the best part of today,"

Both Tom and Henry looked at her with confusion. To them everything appeared to be great. He knew Tom was looking forward to exploring the bookstores though. Henry wouldn't mind visiting one either, it seemed his runes were known in the wizarding world as well. Perhaps he could find better books here in the stores than he had been able to in the library.

"Wands of course! You can't be a real wizard without a wand," the Professor continued when she noticed neither of them had any idea where they would be going.

Excitement filled both boys. They had forgotten they would be needing a wand before joining Hogwarts. According to Professor Merrythought there was only one great wandmaker in the Alley. They walked closer to the great white building at the end of the main street before coming to a stop in front of an old building. It looked as if it hadn't been cleaner for years, the windows full of dust making it almost impossible to look inside.

They couldn't see anyone behind the counter when they entered the store. There were boxes with wands everywhere some covered under such a layer of dust it appeared they hadn't been touched in ages.

"Galatea Merrythought, always a pleasure to see you again," a voice said from behind them.

Tom and Harry turned towards the voice in alarm. An old man appeared from the shadows in one of the corners. Henry was sure he hadn't been there a second ago, he had passed the shadow when he had entered and nothing had been there.

"It's lovely to see you again as well Mr Ollivander. How is your health these days?"

"Just as well as it has always been Galatea. Now why don't you introduce me to your young charges," Ollivander seemed to be inspecting them as if he was looking for something.

"Mr Ollivander meet Tom Riddle and Henry Potter. They will be starting their first year at Hogwarts in September,"

"A Potter? I wasn't aware the Potters had any other children around Charlus his age,"

"I'm an orphan, sir."

"An orphan? Are you really? Or do just live at an orphanage?" the man asked him. Henry was starting to feel uncomfortable, he didn't like what the man was suggesting. He didn't have any real family and he planned to keep it that way, Tom was enough for him.

"I'm sure it's just a coincidence Mr Ollivander. Perhaps we could start looking for a wand? We are in a bit of a hurry," Professor Merrythought cut in.

"A Coincidence? He looks a bit too much like them for it to be a coincidence," Ollivander grumbled before turning around and taking another measurement tape.

Tom was the first to receive a wand. Henry hoped Tom didn't feel left out with all the attention he was receiving, not that it was positive attention or that he wanted it but Tom had always been prone to fits of jealousy even if there was nothing to be jealous about.

Finding a wand was harder than Henry would have thought. Ollivander kept handing wands over to Tom without any success. So far he had blown up several stacks of wands and Henry was sure the crack in the ceiling hadn't been there before. Ollivander looked thoughtful before taking one of the older boxes from behind his counter.

The moment Tom touched the wand it was obvious it matched.

"Thirteen and a halve inches long, made out of yew wood with a core of Phoenix feather. A temperamental wand which will take you far," Ollivander explained.

Tom couldn't help but smile, the feeling of a wand choosing him was truly one of the best things that had happened in his life.

After Tom it was time for Henry to find a wand. To Henry it felt as if this took even longer than it had for Tom. Wand after wand passed his hand, some not reacting at all while others tried to damage the shop as much as possible. After a while Henry was starting to become depressed by his lack of finding a suitable wand.

"I can't remember it taking this long for me when I received my wand. You boys must be something extraordinary," Professor Merrythought was obviously trying to cheer him up. She was probably bored out of her mind. Even Tom had stopped looking at his new wand in awe and was now looking around trying to find something to keep himself busy with.

Henry sighed, how hard could it be for one stupid wand to pick him?

"Well you're certainly a troublesome customer but not to worry, I'm sure I have the right wand for you somewhere. We'll just have to keep looking,"

Henry was sure he heard Ollivander continue under his breath that finding it could take a while but decided not to comment. He needed a wand if he wanted to go to Hogwarts so he would stay here until he found one, no matter how long it took him.

By the time they had finally found a wand that fit him Tom and Professor Merrythought had made themselves comfortable on the floor. A shower of sparks later and he was the proud owner of an eleven and a half inches long wand made of cherry tree wood and with a core of Thestral mane. Henry had no idea what a Thestral was but was determined to find out.

They paid for their brand new wands and left the shop, happy to be able to breath fresh air again.

"Dear Merlin, that took forever!" Professor Merrythought exclaimed before continuing, "why don't we get something for lunch first before we continue our trip. We were supposed to meet up with the other Muggleborns forty minutes ago but we should probably skip that if we want to finish our shopping today. You don't mind do you?"

Both Tom and Henry shook their heads. Neither of them could see the point in meeting other Muggleborns. They wouldn't be seeing them again until September and by than they would probably have forgotten each other's names already.

"Alright, how about some ice-cream?"

Henry was pretty sure ice-cream wasn't considered a decent lunch but he wasn't going to complain. They rarely ate ice-cream at the orphanage because of the lack of funds and certainly never during winter.

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour was every child's dream. Apparently it was also Professor Merrythoughts dream because she ordered the largest sundae he had ever seen. Tom and himself went for a smaller portion. Tom probably wanted to save as much money as he could while he just didn't want to get sick, he wasn't used to eating so much of it. The sundae was delicious and Henry promised himself to come back next time. They waited for Professor Merrythought to finish before they went on their way again.

They still had to buy a lot of the items from their list but luckily the crowds seemed to have lessened a bit. They went to the apothecary first to get the ingredients and a cauldron for Potions class. Tom seemed fascinated with all the jars and different kinds of cauldrons. Henry however was a bit disgusted by all the pieces of animals in the jars, he swore he had seen some of them still move. He was thankful to be outside the store again, for a moment he had thought the man behind the counter had wanted to make potion ingredients out of him by the way he was looking at him.

He shuddered, he was not going inside that store again. Next time Tom would just have to go alone and get everything they needed.

After the apothecary nightmare Tom finally got the chance to enter one of the bookstores. Professor Merrythought had obviously noticed Tom's enthusiasm because she suggested that she would get their books while they took a look around. She warned them not to buy too many books with their limited funds. According to her they would be able to find almost all the books in the Hogwarts library. They nodded before disappearing in the many bookshelves.

Forty-five minutes and two books later they were finally ready to leave. It had been difficult but in the end they decided to buy '_Hogwarts: A History_' and '_Wizards and Witches through the Ages_'. It wasn't much but they figured they could always read their school books when they got bored during the summer.

It was late afternoon by the time they had finally managed to buy everything on their list and picked up their new uniforms. Their feet were hurting, not used to walking all day but their minds were still full of questions. Professor Merrythought had taken the time to explain some more things about Hogwarts before they arrived back at the orphanage.

It was with a heavy heart both boys went back to their room. After today the orphanage seemed even less attractive. A whole day surrounded by magic had it made it that much clearer that they didn't belong here. They should have been raised in the wizarding world, not among these filthy muggles who could never understand them.

It wasn't fair that they hadn't been raised as wizards like the other children. It didn't matter that they weren't allowed to use their wands out of school. Henry was sure that once they got to Hogwarts the others would be ahead of them. The only thing they could do was study as hard as they could to minimise the damage. Henry was determined not to fall behind, he didn't mind Tom knowing more but he was not going to be the worst student.


	5. Versus The World

Chapter five

_**Versus The World**_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry Potter universe. Everything you recognise belongs to J.K. Rowling.

**A/N:** First of all I would like to answer a question some of you have asked me. Some readers seem confused about Henry getting a different wand. In the first chapter I wrote Henry isn't the BWL, meaning there isn't any connection between him and Tom at the moment. Since I plan to write a sequel once this story is done the BWL will need his phoenix wand.

I'm not very happy about this chapter but felt like I owed it to you readers to update. My thesis has to be finished next week so all my spare time goes into that for now. I'm not sure yet what was harder to write this chapter or my thesis… Let's hope the next chapter will be easier to write!

* * *

Winter had passed in the blink of an eye and it wasn't long before the end of summer was already fast approaching. Henry and Tom had been busy the past couple of months, barely leaving their room unless they had to attend classes or meals. They spend every minute reading their schoolbooks or practicing their writing skills with a quill.

Once they had started reading about magic and it's possibilities they had been unable to stop. The wizarding world was so different from their own that they sometimes had trouble believing the things they read could be real. The possibilities with magic seemed endless and both were determined to learn as much as they could.

They hadn't returned yet to Diagon Alley. Not because they didn't want to but simply because of a lack of time. They had discussed the possibility of other children having a head start in their magical education and were determined not to fall behind. They already had all of their necessary supplies and barely any money left, visiting Diagon Alley would have to wait.

And so both boys spend their days inside reading and learning all they could. Henry didn't understand everything written in his books but was determined to comprehend as much as he could before September. While most of the theory made sense to Henry he knew using it in practice would be difficult.

With no way to practice before they arrived at Hogwarts all they could do was mimic the hand movements while holding a quill or pencil. They had no way of knowing whether or not they were doing things correctly but they didn't think it could hurt to try. He was sure it must have looked ridiculous to anyone else.

Tom had even gone a step further and had started volunteering to help in the kitchen. According to him the experience could only help him during Potions class.

Potions class wasn't anything Henry was looking forward to. He had spent enough time in the kitchen when he still lived with his relatives. The idea of spending hours behind a cauldron stirring and adding weird ingredients made him sick to his stomach.

As soon as they arrived back at the orphanage after their shopping day in the Alley he had hidden his potion ingredients in the bottom of the trunk they had bought. Unlike Tom who looked at them with fascination Henry was determined to let them lay there for as long as possible. He had of course read the book required for the class but admitted he hadn't paid as much attention to it in comparison with other books like _Hogwarts a History_.

While he enjoyed several other subjects they had books about like charms, _Hogwarts a History _was Henry's favourite book. The tales about the founders and other prominent witches and wizards who had lived in the castle were mesmerising. Unfortunately Tom was also quite fond of the book making it impossible for Henry to read it hours on end. In the end they decided Henry would be allowed to read it before lunch and Tom afterwards.

Their evenings were usually filled with talks about subjects they had read about that day. Hogwart's system of houses was one of the main topics they often discussed. Henry wasn't sure what to think of it. It didn't seem very fair to those who ended up in a stupid house.

Henry didn't really care where he was sorted though as long as he could stay with Tom. Unless Tom was sorted in Hufflepuff of course, he did not want to walk around in yellow clothes for the next seven years.

Tom was convinced he wouldn't end up in Hufflepuff though and was determined to be sorted in Slytherin. Henry figured it was because of Tom's fascination with snakes. Ever since he found out he could talk to them a couple of years earlier, while Henry couldn't, he wanted to show off as much as possible.

When he cited that he didn't think Slytherin would be very welcome towards them Tom waved it away. But while Tom wasn't worried or perhaps he just didn't care about it Henry was. While none of their books went into detail Henry felt as if muggle-borns wouldn't be very welcome in the house of the founder who hated them. He remembered the people sneering at them in Diagon Alley once they noticed their muggle clothing. He was sure it wasn't just a coincidence, not after the family in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

To Henry it was obvious not everyone had the same ideas about heritage as Professor Dumbledore. Being muggle-born and having parents who couldn't do magic did matter.

Henry wasn't going to let it bother him though. He didn't need magical parents to become great. He and Tom would get there on their own, without needing a family. Just a couple of more days before they would show them all they were just as good… or even better.

* * *

September had finally arrived and both Tom and Henry were brimming with excitement. Martha had accompanied them to the train station before leaving them with their trunks in the entrance hall. She had wanted to stay and wave them off but they had managed to send her back to the orphanage assuring her they would be fine and write. It was a lie of course but Professor Merrythought had made it clear muggles weren't allowed on the platform.

Finding the right platform hadn't been difficult with the Professor's advice. Walking through the barrier had been odd. For an instant he had been worried the wall was real and he would make a fool of himself walking into it but he gathered his courage and pushed through.

He stumbled a bit when he appeared on the other side but quickly righted himself. He took a few steps, making room for Tom who soon followed him. Platform 9 ¾ appeared like any other they had seen except for the people on it. While at first glance an observer wouldn't notice anything different once you started paying attention several things would spring to the eye.

An older couple was standing with their family to their right talking and laughing. While this certainly wasn't uncommon the same couldn't be said of their clothes. Both adults seemed to be wearing robes which would be weird enough if you didn't know anything about the wizarding world but what made it so different was that the figures on their robes were moving.

Henry stared at the small cats running after several birds, which always stayed just out of reach. An elbow from Tom in his side made him look up from the strange spectacle. The owner of the robes had obviously noticed his staring and smiled at him. Henry embarrassed at being caught smiled back tentatively.

"Let's get on the train so we can get rid of these clothes," Tom said while passing him on the way to the train.

Henry just followed, not bothering to respond. Tom wouldn't care about his response any way, he just expected him to follow. They boarded the large train waiting to take the students to their destination. On the inside the train was divided into compartments, several had students inside already but because of the early hour most were still available.

They entered one of them, Tom immediately closing the door while he shut the blinds. The lack of a lock made them take turns keeping watch while the other one quickly dressed in the plain black robes. Once they were sorted Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions would send their badges, ties and scarves in the right house colors.

The uniforms truly made them look different, while it was obvious they weren't made from the best material they still made Henry feel as if he was important. Unlike the orphanage clothes they fit perfectly and didn't have any holes in them.

Henry hadn't sewn anything on them yet. After reading several entries in books about Runes he had decided to wait until he knew more about them. Who knew what kind of ridiculous things he had been sewing on his clothes for the past years.

"Figured out yet how we will be sorted?" he asked Tom mockingly. It had been a topic they often discussed the past months. While the books did say the students would be sorted into one of the four houses it didn't say how. Apparently it was a tradition to keep it a secret.

"Actually I did figure it out," Tom replied arrogantly.

"You did? How?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"Figure it out yourself," Tom sneered.

"Fine, give me the book. It's in your trunk," he had expected Tom's answer, he would have said the same.

Tom handed him the book before taking one out for himself and closing the trunk again. They both settled into silence with their books on their lap. It wasn't long before the noise in the hallways was reduced and the train left the station.

Henry wanted to look outside and see the different landscapes but was determined to find the answer to the sorting mystery and instead focussed all his attention on the book in front of him.

Time flew by and before long it was getting dark outside. Henry was frustrated, he hadn't been able to find the answer yet while he had read everything in the book at least twice during the summer. With a growl he threw the book away when he felt the train slowing down.

"It's not the book's fault," Tom said, one of his eyebrows raised mockingly. Henry guessed he deserved if for his earlier mocking.

"Don't start it Tom, I'm not in the mood for your comments," he snarled.

"I could just tell you if it means that much to you,"

"Don't. I'll figure it our myself," he ended the conversation before grabbing the handle on his trunk.

Opening the door of their compartment he was surprised by the number of students walking or running with their trunks towards the doors, obviously happy to have arrived. They followed the masses towards the doors, the enthusiasm contagious.

Once outside they were left standing on another train platform, only smaller as the one in London. They had no idea where to go, everywhere around them students were running around greeting people.

"First years over here!" a gruff voice yelled over all the commotion.

They gathered around the burly man standing to the side of the platform. He was missing several fingers on both hands as if something had bitten them off, or at least tried to and partly succeeded.

"We'll be taking boats to the castle. Leave your trunks on the platform, they'll be in your dorms once you're sorted. No more than four students per boat!" he continued in a loud gruff voice.

The group of first years followed the man to several shabby boats. Henry wasn't sure the boats would hold four of them. It appeared he wasn't the only one because several other students were looking at them with distrust.

"Once we're on the lake you'll get you first view of the castle," the man said, noticing the wait and see attitude of many children.

It was enough to convince them to board one of the boats. Henry and Tom took place in one of them together with two girls. The girls seemed to know each other already, whispering and giggling as soon as they sat down. Henry wasn't sure what they could already be gossiping about but he probably didn't want to know.

Ignoring the girls they spend most of the trip looking around. By the time the boats had finally started to move it was already dark outside. Several candles floated around the boats making it possible for them to see each other. Henry was impressed, the pitch black water of the lake and the flickering candles gave of an air of tranquillity.

When they were finally able to see the castle Henry was hypnotized. The pictures they had seen in the books were nothing compared to the real thing. The sheer beauty of the imposing castle with its many towers was awe inspiring. Henry was sure it would be even more impressing in the daylight. A look at Tom confirmed he wasn't the only one impressed, Tom had an odd look of wonder on his face. Even the two girls had stopped whispering for a moment to look at the large castle.

It was truly the most beautiful thing Henry had seen in his life. A smile appeared on his face, he would be living here from now on. Hogwarts would be his home for the next seven years. All of its secrets were waiting for him to figure out. Henry was convinced Hogwarts held many secrets, nobody build a castle without them. The adventurer in him couldn't wait to start looking.

When they finally arrived at the castle they were freezing. Walking inside the large entrance hall Henry couldn't help but stare. Everything looked old in the castle, candles floating near the ceilings giving of an almost eerie light. Large tapestries and suits of armour decorated the walls making him feel tiny in comparison.

The man took them down a corridor into a smaller room where they were told to wait until the sorting. The second he left them alone whispering broke out amongst several students. Henry didn't know what to think of the small groups of first years standing around. Some looked bored while others were obviously discussing the sorting, some apparently knew each other already. Henry guessed those were the purebloods he had read about. According to Professor Merrythought the wizarding community wasn't very large in Britain, as a result most of the families knew each other in some way.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" a voice on the other end said. Henry turned around to look at the person who said it and grimaced. He almost didn't recognise Professor Dumbledore without his muggle suit. Instead of the custom tailored suit he was wearing hideous purple robes with stars and moons all over. The pointy hat on his head made him only look worse, as if he came straight out of a muggle storybook. He heard one of the other first years snigger before quietening after his friend hit him in his side.

"For those who do not know me yet. My name is Professor Albus Dumbledore, I'll be one of your teachers for the next seven years. If everyone is ready we'll be going inside the Great Hall where the rest of the students are waiting for you," he said in a clear voice.

"Once we're inside I'll be calling your names alphabetically. If you hear your name please come forward to be sorted into your house," he continued before turning around and leading them to what he called the Great Hall.

The large wooden doors opened when they arrived giving Henry his first glance of the hall. Hundreds of voices quieted to a whisper when they entered. All eyes focussed on the row of first years entering behind Professor Dumbledore. Henry saw some of the students waving at each other when they passed but most of the trek was made in silence. Professor Dumbledore took them to the side where they were told to wait once more.

Once inside another Professor walked up to the old chair standing on a slightly raised platform and laid down a hat. Henry was like many of the other first years confused until the hat started signing. He looked at Tom who only smirked back at him. Henry felt foolish, he had read about the Sorting Hat before but never made the connection that the hat would be the one to sort them into their houses. He clenched his fists and scowled, feeling stupid. Of course Tom had made the connection, he had probably known for days or perhaps even weeks.

The hat finished singing and Professor Dumbledore called the first person to come forward. The girl was obviously nervous to be the first one but walked to the hat with a steady step. Once she reached the platform and sat down on the chair Professor Dumbledore placed the hat on her head. After a minute a shout of "Gryffindor" came from the hat and the table on the far right exploded with applause. The warm welcome made the girl skip over to the table before sitting down.

While Professor Dumbledore was busy calling the next students Henry took a moment to look around the Great Hall. The ceiling was majestic with the hundreds of stars shining down on them as if there wasn't a roof. Henry wondered how it was done. Perhaps it was charm but Henry didn't think they would be learning anything like it while in school. Inside the hall there was an obvious distinction between the four houses and the head table. He knew the table on the far right end would be Gryffindor and after a couple more students were sorted he figured the table next to it was Hufflepuff, than Ravenclaw and the table at the far left would be Slytherin.

"Potter, Henry," Dumbledore's voice startled him.

He realised he was nervous when walking to the platform. He could hear several students whispering and pointing at him. He was confused about their behaviour but was more worried about his sorting for now.

He had no idea where he would end up. He didn't even know if he would be together with Tom. Tom would be sorted after him making it harder for him to decide where he really wanted to go.

Ravenclaw didn't sound too bad even if he didn't like to study too often, he was pretty sure he could find a home in Gryffindor as well. Tom wanted to be in Slyhterin though and Tom always got what he wanted.

When the hat covered his eyes there was only one thought in his mind which he repeated again and again. _Please let me be Slytherin_.

It felt like an eternity before the hat finally shouted "Slytherin!".

He did it! He wasn't sure how the hat decided which house students belonged in but he was glad he ended up in Slytherin. When Dumbledore took the hat from him the Slytherin table was clapping politely. Henry walked towards them with his head held high, looking over to the student still left to be sorted to smile at Tom. He noticed there was some commotion at the Gryffindor table but figured it was probably about someone or something else.

Sitting down next to another First year he turned around again. He could meet his classmates later but for now he wanted to see the rest of the sorting. Or at least until Tom joined him. Fortunately the letter R wasn't too far away from the letter P and it wasn't long before Tom walked towards the chair full of confidence.

Tom's sorting didn't take nearly as long as Henry's. After only a moment the hat sorted him into Slytherin as well. Henry was so happy, his body relaxing after the stress he never noticed how barely anyone at the table was clapping or welcoming Tom.

* * *

After everyone had been sorted and Headmaster Dippet gave a welcoming speech food appeared on the tables. Henry almost jumped from his seat when a large bowl of potatoes appeared in front of his nose. Ashamed of his reaction he tried to pretend nothing had happened. The sneer some of the older students cast his way made it obvious however that they had noticed. He looked down at his plate desperately trying and failing to keep his face from going red.

"Are you related to the Potters?" the boy next to him asked.

His dark green eyes assessing him, looking at his clothes as if he could see they weren't of the best quality. Henry remembered his name was Evan Rosier from the sorting. The hat had barely taken a second before sorting him into Slytherin.

"Don't be ridiculous Evan. The Potters don't have any other children besides Charlus," a girl on the other side of the table answered.

"She's right. I'm not related to them," he cut in, not wanting them to mistake him for someone else.

"Are you sure? You look like them," the boy, Evan, continued as if he hadn't heard the girl speak.

"Maybe he's a bastard…" a blond boy cut in this time.

"I'm an orphan. Tom and I live at an orphanage together," Henry shrugged. He didn't really care what they thought about his family, it shouldn't matter whether he was related to these Potters. He had never met them so even if they were related it wasn't as if they were his family.

"You're a mudblood?"the blond almost yelled while looking at them with disgust. Many of the younger students had stopped eating by now and were paying close attention to their conversation.

"If you mean muggle-born than we don't know. We've never known our parents." Tom glared back at the boy.

Many of the younger Slytherins were sneering at them now. Before things could escalate one of the older students cut in. "Be quiet and eat your dinner. We'll discuss this later with Professor Slughorn in the Common Room."

It seemed the older students held the authority in Slytherin because most of the students instantly kept quiet and started eating again.

Henry didn't really care. He had hoped to make friends at Hogwarts but he had known getting sorted into Slytherin would cause problems. And yet he had still asked the sorting hat to put him in this house so Tom would be happy. It didn't matter if his housemates didn't want anything to do with them, they could always make friends in the other houses.

He enjoyed the rest of the welcoming feast in silence. Trying the many different dishes and drinks. By the time dessert arrived he was already full, not used to eating so much. The other students were enjoying the feast as well although they all seemed determined to ignore their presence for the time being.

Henry wondered if dinner at the Slytherin table was always so quiet. He could hear laughter at the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, even the Ravenclaw table made more noise in comparison.

When the festivities ended Headmaster Dippet introduced the four Professors who would be their Head of House for the next seven years. Professor Slughorn was a middle aged man with a large smile on his face. Henry figured the man enjoyed living if the size of his belly was any indication.

Professor Slughorn told them to follow the Prefects to the common room and dorms to settle in after which he would join them to properly introduce himself. Henry and Tom followed at the end of the line of first years. They went down several staircases until they were deep underground. Henry wasn't too surprised, he had already read that the Slytherin common room was located in the dungeons of the castle.

They stopped at one of the walls. At first Henry couldn't see why the Prefects had lead them there until he noticed a small snake engraved on one of the stones.

"This is the entrance to the Common Room. We suggest you learn how to find it on your own. If you get lost it may take you a long time to find your way back," The prefect who had introduced herself as Alexandra Nott said. Henry didn't think she'd really care if any of the first years got lost, she'd probably find it amusing.

"To enter you'll need to say the password. The password changes every two weeks. For the next two weeks it will be Boomslang"

As soon as she said the password the wall they were standing before opened showing them their first glimpse of their common room. Walking through the archway they entered a large area. The end of the room didn't exist of stones but was instead made of glass. Henry figured it was the lake he could see behind the glass giving of an almost greenish tinge.

Spread around the room were several large black and green leather sofas allowing students to spend their time together while still retaining a certain degree of privacy. On the walls hung tapestries and portraits giving the room a grand atmosphere.

"You'll be sharing a dorm for the next seven years. Boys and girls are separated. Prefect Flint will take the boys to their dorm. Girls follow me," Nott said.

They followed Flint up the stairs to their new dorm. "Pick one of the beds. Bathrooms through there," he pointed to a door on the side of the room, "freshen up and get downstairs again. Professor Slughorn will be here soon and you better not be late," he continued before leaving them.

Six beds. Six boys. All the beds seemed to be the same making it an easy choice for Henry. He picked on of the beds close to the door, Tom choosing the one next to it.

"You shouldn't make yourself too comfortable" the blonde boy from earlier sneered, "once Slughorn hears you're mudbloods he'll kick you out of Slytherin."

Henry couldn't remember the boy's name. He knew he had heard it during the sorting but wasn't paying much attention at the time. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the boy's name after all the sneers directed their way. At least the other boys kept their opinions to themselves. He could feel the stares directed at them while unpacking but for now they kept quiet.

"Do you think the boy was right?" he whispered to Tom once the other boys had gone to the bathroom.

"Right about what?"

"Stop acting stupid Tom," he knew Tom was paying attention when the boy mentioned their Head of House. He always did.

"No."

"What's that supposed to mean? Stop being obnoxious!" he had no idea why Tom was acting this way. He thought Tom would be happy they were sorted into the same house.

"It means that no, I don't think he was right. Are you done with the stupid questions?"

Henry turned around and walked out of the room. He had no intention to get riled up before school had even started and definitely not because of Tom. The Common Room was fuller than it had been before. Henry found himself a place to stand near the stairs from where he could see everyone. He guessed there were about fifty people sitting or standing like him.

By the time Sluhgorn entered the Common Room Tom had come down as well and was standing next to him. Henry pointedly looked the other way, ignoring him. If Tom wanted to be a jerk he wouldn't let it get to him.

"Welcome to another year in Slyhterin!" Slughorn's boisterous voice addressing them.

"For those of you who are new; good job at getting sorted into the best house," he continued. Laughter followed his declaration. Henry smiled as well, their Head of House seemed nice enough.

"As usual the House Rules and the password can be found on the noticeboard, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask the Prefects or myself."

"I have a question, if I may?" the annoying blond said. Henry tensed, he knew what the question would be about.

"Mr. Malfoy, glad to see you in my house my boy. Your parents will be proud,"

"Thank you, sir. It's about the mudblo…"

"Muggle-borns, Mr Malfoy. We call them muggle-borns," Slughorn interrupted.

"Of course, sir, my apologies. I was wondering what you'll do about the two muggle-borns who were sorted into Slytherin today,"

"Muggle-borns in Slytherin? I think you're mistaken my boy,"

"They said they were muggle-born, sir." one of the other students who had sat near them during the feast said.

Tom took a step forward, becoming the focus of the room. "We're orphans, sir. We don't know who our parents are."

"Well that explains it! There's never been a muggle-born who was sorted into Slytherin. Half-bloods yes but never muggle-borns," Slughorn was obviously trying to keep the peace.

Henry didn't believe there had never been a muggle-born in the house but he agreed it was probably for the best to lie about it. It was only to their advantage if the rest of the students considered them half-bloods even if it wasn't true.

"So they're both bastards?" a girl stood up and sneered.

"Perhaps they aren't, there's no way to know if the parents are unknown. And even if they are, Miss Bulstrode, I will not tolerate such language!"

The girl seemed properly chastised and apologised before sitting down again.

"Slytherin has won the House Cup for the past three years and I will not lose it this year because some of you can't at least try to get along," he looked at all of them when saying this.

"I'm sure we will learn to live together, sir." Evan spoke up.

Henry nodded, Evan was right they would figure this out even if it meant learning to ignore each other.

Slughorn's explanation seemed to have calmed several of their housemates tempers. While most were still glaring at their back or outright sneering they kept quiet. Henry was sure they would face several confrontations with their housemates in the future about their impure blood.

* * *

Once Slughorn had left the Commorn Room Henry and Tom had gone back to their dorm. Henry was almost done brushing his teeth when Tom came in.

"I apologise for my earlier behaviour," he said while leaning against the wall.

Henry raised one of his eyebrows urging him to explain while looking at his reflection in the mirror.

"I may have been venting my frustration by taking it out on you,"

"I hadn't noticed…"

"I guess I deserve the sarcasm."

"You sure do Tom. You're the one who always says we should stick together."

"I'm not used to the disrespect. It reminds me too much of our earlier years at the orphanage."

"If it bothers you so much why didn't you do anything about it?"

"I tried… It appears I can't use my gifts on any magical child."

Henry blinked. He could see why that would frustrate Tom. He was used to the other children treating him as if he was a God not like he was dirt. If Tom couldn't do anything like he did at the orphanage fitting in would be a lot harder for them. He didn't think their housemates would be impressed if he tried to hit them, no, it was obvious magic was superior. He wouldn't be able to get his way by physical violence anymore.

"What are we going to do?" he asked.

"We'll keep our heads down until we've been able to practice the spells we're taught,"

"We have no idea what our classmates can already do. Even if we'll be able to cast the spells perfectly the older students will still be better,"

"I don't think they'll get involved as long as we don't make any trouble. We should probably try to keep Slughorn on our side,"

"He probably won't care about our blood as long as we earn enough points for the house."

Tom sneered. He had never liked doing something for someone else.

"It's for our own benefit as well, Tom. You never know when we might need help from one of the other teachers, if they like us it will be easier to get things done."

Tom nodded, "let's get some rest. I want to get up early enough to be able to practice some of the spells."

Henry had to stifle a groan. They hadn't even received their timetable yet and Tom was already talking about studying! At least he would be able to get some rest first.


	6. Abandoned: Part One

Chapter six

_**Abandoned: Part One**_

**AN: **I decided to cut this chapter into two parts. The next part will probably be a bit shorter and should be online soon.

I'm still looking for a beta, if you're interested please send me a message.

* * *

_September_

Getting out of bed had not been a pleasant experience at all. The large four poster bed was so comfortable Henry figured he could spend all day doing nothing but sleeping. Unfortunately Tom had other ideas.

Yawning Henry finally managed to get out of the bed. Not wanting to wake the other students Henry stumbled to what he assumed was the bathroom, the little light in the dorm making it hard for him to see.

Tom was already inside, brushing his teeth and looking wide awake. Henry had no idea how Tom managed to wake up so early, it wasn't normal at all. Folding his pyjama, he entered one of the shower stalls hoping the cold water would wake him up. To his surprise the water wasn't cold but quite hot. At the orphanage water had always been cold, not freezing but definitely not hot either. The large amount of children made it impossible for the water to heat up to a decent temperature.

Enjoying the water and the different kinds of soap, he felt himself relaxing. So far everything they had seen had truly been magnificent. While the children hadn't been very nice or welcoming the idea of learning magic made up for it. The teachers seemed kind enough during the Welcoming Feast, while some of them definitely looked a bit odd Henry wasn't going to draw conclusions before classes had even started.

He got out of the shower, only to see Tom had already left the bathroom. Figuring he should probably hurry if they wanted to practice some magic, he got made himself decent as fast as he could. One last look in the mirror made him scowl at the mess his hair was. One day he would figure out how to keep it orderly. For now all he could do was try to flatten it with his hand, knowing it would be a mess again once he turned around.

Leaving the bathroom he tried to keep as quiet as he could while walking through the dorm. The curtains around the other beds were still closed and Henry could hear soft snoring coming from one of them. By the time he got to the stairs, which would lead him back to the common room, Henry was sure everyone was still sleeping deeply.

Once downstairs he went to take a seat opposite of Tom, who already had his nose in one of the books.

"Aren't we going to get something to eat first?" he asked.

Tom raised one of his eyebrows while responding, "I don't think they serve breakfast at five in the morning," he pointed a finger at the large clock in a corner of the room to accentuate his point.

Henry groaned. He had no idea it was still so early, they couldn't see the sky outside, making it hard to guess the time.

"How did you manage to get up so early?" Henry wondered.

"Couldn't sleep."

"So you decided to wake me up as well?" he couldn't say he was surprised by Tom's explanation.

"No, I allowed you to sleep. I just got tired of waiting. Besides it won't be long before the other students start waking up,"

"Fine, what did you want to start with?" it was too early to argue with Tom. He probably didn't even realise what Henry's problem was.

Tom tossed him a book, looking at the title he noticed it was their Charms book. At least he hadn't picked potions.

"I thought we could start with the levitation charm. The book says it's the first charm wizards should master before trying any of the more difficult ones," Tom explained.

Henry nodded and with a sigh they started practising their first real spell.

* * *

Two hours later Henry was starting to think they were horrible at doing magic. Two hours of yelling _Wingardium Leviosa_ in all kinds of intonations Henry hadn't been able to make the stupid paper in front of him float at all. The only thing he had managed to do was make it ignite spontaneously. While Henry figured it could come in handy to know how to set things on fire it certainly hadn't been his intention.

Frowning he looked over at Tom who didn't seem very happy either. While Tom had managed to make his paper float it had only lasted for a few seconds before it fell down again. Not wanting to look like failures they decided to end their practise session before any of their housemates woke up.

Henry wondered what would happen if the teachers found out they were so weak they couldn't even preform the levitation charm. Would they be kicked out and send back to the orphanage? He couldn't let that happen. He didn't want to go back to the muggle world. They would have to find a way to make sure that never happened.

For now though Henry was starving. He would think of something later, he didn't think they would be kicked out after their first day anyway. Following some of their older housemates, they arrived at their table in the Great Hall. Henry wasn't sure where they were supposed to sit, he didn't know if everyone had a specific seat or of they could sit wherever they wanted. To be safe they decided to take the same spot as the night before.

This time Henry wasn't surprised any more when several plates appeared or filled themselves. Deciding to enjoy his breakfast he began to fill his plate with enthusiasm. After years of having to eat porridge in the morning, Hogwarts was truly heaven on earth.

They received their timetables during breakfast, making Henry groan when he realised their first class would be Charms. It appeared they had several classes a day, which was definitely more than at the orphanage.

Determined not to be late for their first class they went back to their dorm as fast as they could to get the supplies and books they'd need.

They arrived on time, thanks to some other first years who apparently already knew the way around and waited nervously for the teacher to arrive. Several of their dormmates had arrived while waiting but none of them seemed interested in talking to them. Henry was determined not to let it get to him. If they didn't want to talk to them that was their problem.

It wasn't long before their Professor arrived. Professor Smith was a rather old and strict man. He didn't laugh or make jokes but explained everything in detail before letting the students try it out with their wands.

After some corrections on how to hold his wand and how to do the wand movements Henry finally managed to make his feather float. Making it fly was still too difficult but according to Professor Smith he had a knack for Charms. Getting it to float after only a couple of hours practice was outstanding, or at least that was what the Professor told him.

Henry felt relieved. It seemed they weren't horrible at magic at all, it was just harder than they had thought. At the end of the class Henry had earned several points for Slytherin, giving him a feeling of accomplishment. Of course he wasn't the only one who had earned points, Tom and several other students had also managed to make their feathers float before the class ended. Henry didn't care though, the Professor hadn't told any of the other students they had a knack for it. Not even to Tom.

With a spring in his step he followed his classmates to the next class.

Henry was disappointed when he learned Herbology was basically a class about plants and how to take care of them. The Professor, a man called Herbert Beery, had a flair for drama and seemed to actually care about his plants. Henry wasn't sure if it was healthy to give favourite plants names but figured he should probably at least try to pay attention.

"Could someone tell me which plant this is" Professor Beery asked while holding up a small plant with delicate white flowers.

Henry recognised the plant from his book, he knew it was poisonous but used in several potions as an ingredient. Before he could think of the name Tom had already lifted his hand.

"Yes, Mr Riddle?"

"I believe it's a Hellebore variety, Professor."

"Indeed it is! Five points for Slytherin."

Henry smiled at Tom whispering, "good job."

"You could try answering his questions instead of smiling every time I earn us points," Tom whispered back.

"Don't be ridiculous, its only the first day. Besides I earned more points during the previous class," he huffed.

"No you haven't. Professor Smith gave me just as many,"

A snicker from a table behind them alerted the boys other students could hear them even if they were whispering. They pointedly looked away from each other, ashamed of being caught arguing over something as silly as who had earned the most points.

* * *

_October_

Adjusting to life at Hogwarts wasn't as hard as Henry had first thought. So far living in a magical castle had been great. After the first few weeks Henry could say he wasn't surprised any more by the many weird things happening around them. The giant tentacles in front of the window in the common room had been odd for a moment but after seeing ghost during breakfast and moving staircases it truly wasn't that surprising.

Classes were fun and challenging, while some of the other students had obviously read their books as well, most Professors apparently didn't expect them to. Henry could honestly say he had enjoyed every class so far. Even potions class had been fun. While Henry still didn't like many of the ingredients and found the process of making the potions quite boring, Professor Slughorn managed to make the class entertaining.

The class he enjoyed most so far though was the one they were currently in; Broom Flight Class.

At the moment Henry was enjoying the wind in his hair while flying lazily on his broom. At first he had been terrified but once he got off the ground his fear disappeared and made room for a feeling of freedom. In the air Henry felts as if he could leave all his worries behind, close his eyes and enjoy the wind as if he was a bird.

"You should try out for the Quidditch Team next year," a voice said from next to him.

Henry opened his eyes to see Evan Rosier flying next to him. Evan was an odd one, while none of the other Slytherins bothered to talk to them except if it was necessary, Evan would say something to him every now and then. Not that Evan really looked for him or even bothered to have long conversations with him, he just appeared sometimes to say something before walking away again.

"Really? You think I'm good enough?" he had read about Quidditch of course but wasn't sure if he had all it took to join the team.

"Sure, you jut need some practise. Seems to me like you're a natural in the air," Evan replied while looking him over.

Henry felt flattered by the praise Rosier was giving him, "I don't think they'll accept me because of what I am though."

He knew the students in Slytherin looked down at Tom and him because of their blood. Even if they excelled in all their classes, Henry didn't think it would ever change.

"Weirder things have happened,"

"What do you mean? Tom and I will always be the halfbloods that got sorted into Slytherin," he sneered.

"Do you really think you're the only halfbloods in the house?"

Henry was confused. Was he saying there were others like them in Slytherin? He didn't understand, none of the other students seemed to be treated like they were. He frowned but before he could answer another voice cut in.

"Evan, what are you doing talking to the bastard? We're going to have a race, come on!" Abraxas yelled when he and Ulrich Lestrange flew by.

Henry grimaced when he heard it. Bastards, that's what they called them now. Not mudbloods like on the first day but bastards. Of course they didn't call them that when one the Professors could hear them, but once they were alone Tom and he became 'the bastards'.

Rosier looked at him strangely, for a moment Henry thought it was pity in his eyes but the emotion soon disappeared again.

"Not everything is about blood you know," Rosier said before flying after the rest of the Slytherins.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he wondered aloud. Of course it was about blood, Malfoy had made that quite clear the moment they were sorted into Slytherin.

Frustrated with the lack of answers Henry flew back to Tom, whom was flying near the ground. Henry had to stifle a laugh when he saw Tom barely keeping his broom under control while at the same time trying to sit as elegantly as possible. Henry had never thought Tom could be bad at something but he was a horrible flier.

"It's not funny. This broom is obviously broken," Tom said, trying to justify his horrible flying skills.

"Yes, obviously. Let's get back to the ground, class should be over soon any way," Henry replied while trying, and failing, to keep himself from laughing.

* * *

_31st of October_

Once Henry got used to the routine of waking up before everyone else and practising an hour or two with Tom time seemed to pass in a blur. He had managed to convince Tom to join him for the first Quidditch match of the season. Tom hadn't wanted to go but finally relented after Henry kept asking him for days.

Henry had been fascinated by the players. The way they flew while taking risks all for the sake of winning a game was stunning. He didn't care what it took but he would be on that team next year.

"Are you thinking about that stupid sport again?" Tom's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"It's not stupid Tom! It's the most important sport in the Wizarding world,"

"Risking your life for the sake of a sport is stupid, Henry. Instead of daydreaming you should study, it's not like you're exactly good at potions."

"I'll be fine. Slughorn's test isn't for another two days and my last potion turned out fine,"

"It was supposed to turn out dark blue, not green like yours did! Besides tonight is the Halloween feast, unless you didn't plan on going?"

"Slughorn said it was acceptable and he's the one who gives the grades Tom, not you." He turned around and left the common room.

Tom could be so overbearing at times. He knew Tom thought he was doing the best thing but he was getting tired of it. He was in the top five of each class what more did Tom want?

It wasn't as if it changed the way they were treated. While Henry enjoyed Hogwarts and learning magic he couldn't stand how the students treated them. He had thought it would be easier to fit in with people like them but he didn't think it would be like this. Maybe Tom didn't need any friends but he wasn't like Tom. He needed someone to talk to about normal things not academics. If he wanted to talk about classes Tom was all he needed but he didn't. He wanted to fit in and sit with his yearmates after dinner, play exploding snap or a game of chess instead of sitting on his bed reading each evening.

He was so focussed on his thoughts he didn't realise people were walking his way until he bumped into them and fell on the ground.

He looked up at several older students, mostly Gryffidors and one Slytherin girl. Henry frowned usually Gryffindors and Slytherins didn't mix. House rivalry making it hard for friendships between the two houses to last.

"My apologies. I wasn't looking where I went," he said while standing up and trying to get the wrinkles out of his robes.

"No worries, accidents happen! I remember it happening to me all the time when I was still a first year," one of the boys answered, probably a sixth or seventh year.

Henry didn't think it was smart to say it still happened to the boy, he could have just avoided Henry if he wanted to. He managed to make a smile appear on his face before excusing himself once more.

"Aren't you the Potter boy?" One of the other students asked before he could get away.

Henry nodded, unsure what they wanted with him.

"He is! H even looks like you Charlus! Are you sure he's not your brother?"

Henry felt uncomfortable, he recognised the boy he had bumped into now as Charlus Potter. He had hoped to never meet him, not looking forward to this at all.

"I'm quite sure it's just a coincidence," Charlus said while inspecting him.

Henry nodded again, his mouth too dry to actually talk.

"Are you sure Charlus? He looks a bit too much like a Potter for it to be a coincidence doesn't he?"

"What are you insinuating, Bert?" Charlus was getting angry.

It was obvious to Henry that this Bert was trying to climb the social ladder by discrediting the leader. Perhaps Slytherin wasn't the only house with a hierarchy.

"Well you know, accidents happen... Perhaps one of the Potters didn't clean up after their mistakes?"

Henry noticed several of the other boys were looking at the scene with glee in their eyes. He really didn't want to be here, he knew if he stayed around he'd get caught up in this.

Before he could turn around and make a run for it another voice spoke up, "why don't we just ask the boy, hn?"

He swallowed, he had been afraid this would happen. "What would you like to know?" he asked in a small voice.

"How about your full name?"

"It's just Henry, Henry Potter" he had to stay calm. They wouldn't do anything to him, he was just a first year.

"But you're a muggleborn, right?" Charlus asked.

He looked at the students around him, "Professor Slughorn thinks I'm probably a halfblood." There was no point in lying, it would only make matters worse if they found out he was lying.

"What do you mean he thinks you're a halfblood? You either are one or you aren't, how hard can it be?"

"I'm an orphan. I've never met my parents,"

"Well that's convenient, isn't it? It wasn't very smart to name him Potter though, maybe they figured he was a squib?" Bert said.

Charlus grabbed him, "you better not be lying to make me look like a fool."

Henry flinched, Charlus was hurting his shoulders with the pressure he was putting on them.

"Let him go Charlus, you're hurting the boy," the Slytherin girl stepped in.

"This doesn't concern you Dorea,"

"He's a first year Charlus, he didn't do anything wrong. Now let him go,"

Charlus grumbled something about annoying women but let go of his shoulders.

Henry looked at the girl gratefully before turning around and walking away. He didn't want to look ridiculous by running but made sure to walk as fast as possible. He was even angrier then before. Stupid students and their obsession with blood. It didn't matter if he was related to the Potters or not, he was an orphan nothing was going to change that.

"Finally met your family, bastard?" Malfoy's voice drawled.

It was the last straw, his temper got the better of him and before he knew it his fist had already hit Malfoy's face. Holding him up by his throat he pinned him to the wall.

"If you ever call me that again, I swear I'll kill you," he snarled.

He was sick of them, sick of their sneers and comments. He was sick of pretending not to care about it. He wanted to make them pay, make them suffer like he had. He could see the fear in Malfoy's eyes, he had seen nothing yet.

Before he could act on it a spell hit him in the back and he once again fell on the ground, the only difference that this time he couldn't move a muscle.

* * *

Professor Slughorn had not been amused when he was brought into his office together with a still pale Malfoy. It was a strange experience, never before had he been yelled at by an adult.

Professor Slughorn didn't seem to be angry about the fact they had argued but more about the way Henry had decided to act on it. Apparently fighting like a common muggle in the hallway was not appreciated in the House of the snakes, getting caught made it only worse.

Henry wasn't sure what he could have done differently though, they hadn't learned any offensive spells yet and even if they had instinct had take over at the time. The moment the spell had hit him he realised he had made a mistake. Tom had often warned him not to let it get to him but in his anger he had ignored the advise.

He had lashed out, which wasn't that surprising but he had lost control. He shouldn't have done it where everyone could see them, he should have bided his time until a more opportune moment arrived.

While Slughorn's tirade had not been a pleasant experience, the detention he received was definitely better than Tom's reaction. Tom was furious.

"Have you lost your mind?" Tom yelled at him once they got outside the castle and no other students were near.

"I lost my patience that's all. I made a mistake, it happens," he wasn't happy about his behaviour either but that didn't mean Tom had to get involved.

"Mistakes happen? You just undid all of my hard work in less then a minute!"

"Your hard work? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about all the work I've done to get the others to respect us!" Tom seemed almost hysterical.

Henry laughed, "don't fool yourself Tom. You haven't done anything! All you do is ignore them and read your bloody books!"

Henry couldn't believe Tom actually thought they would be respected.

"It doesn't matter how many points you earn for them. It's not going to change anything!" he continued.

"And you think your way is going to work? You're a fool if you think hitting and threatening people is going to earn you respect!"

"Of course it won't. I made a mistake, it won't happen again."

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place. You ruined everything Henry,"

"Don't be so dramatic. He deserved it," he tried calming Tom

"You're such an idiot! The Malfoy family is important, Henry, you just ruined any chance we had with him,"

Henry glared, he was getting tired of being called names, "so now you're into politics Tom? Wake up Tom, Malfoy doesn't want anything to do with us and nothing you do will ever change that."

"You're truly an idiot. Maybe you should have been sorted into Gryffindor with all the other dim witted fools," Tom said angrily.

"Maybe you're right! Maybe I should have been sorted into Gryffindor, at least I would have some real friends instead of you!"

Tom glared at him before walking back to the castle, leaving him standing alone in the cold.

After their argument Henry didn't join the rest of the students at the Halloween Feast. Instead he opted to stay in the dorm, thinking about how this day had ended up going so badly.

Henry sighed, his anger had mostly left him once he returned to the castle but the frustration was still there. Perhaps he had gone too far when he had implied Tom wasn't a good friend but it was too late to change anything about it now. Besides he felt disappointed by Tom. He had chosen Malfoy's side without even bothering to hear his side of the story. Even if he was wrong he still felt as if Tom owed it to him to support him. Friends were supposed to do that weren't they? But Tom hadn't.

Henry screamed into his pillow, he hated this situation. He didn't think Tom and he had ever argued like this before. They fought, of course, nobody could agree all the time but somehow this felt different. He felt betrayed by the one person that should have been there for him.

Perhaps he was overreacting once again, maybe Tom would pretend as if nothing had happened again. Tom was good at that, but Tom was also good at holding grudges. It was always a guess how Tom would act the next day.

Figuring there was nothing he could do about it, Henry decided to adopt a wait and see approach.

* * *

_December_

The next morning it was obvious Tom wasn't going to pretend as if nothing happened. Except for the occasional glare Tom did his best to pretend he didn't exist.

The next days and weeks he tried apologising but only received a cold shoulder in return. Knowing Tom would keep this up until he had redeemed himself in his eyes Henry kept his distance trying to think of ways to make it up.

So far he hadn't managed to think of anything except getting into Malfoy's favour. He didn't exactly see that happening though, while Malfoy had stopped calling him a bastard he certainly wasn't any nicer.

To avoid his housemates and Tom he had taken his studying to the library. While Tom did visit the library often he didn't enjoy reading his books at one of the tables. The librarian was nice enough to Henry, as long as he kept quiet she didn't bother him.

Henry didn't mind keeping quiet, he had found out the library had shelves upon shelves about Runes allowing him to finally satisfy his curiosity. Henry found out they were so much more than simple symbols, there were literally hundreds of them used for all kinds of purposes.

Henry read all he could about their origins and uses, learning they were used in almost every ritual and ward. To Henry it seemed as if the magical world was almost build from them, making him unsure why they wouldn't start studying Ancient Runes until their third year. Henry felt it would be a waste to wait another two years before even starting on the basics and figured he might as well start early. Without Tom to practice with in the mornings he had spare time any way.

"What are you reading?" Henry looked up to see Rosier bending over the table, trying to read the title of the book he was holding.

"Runes for beginners,"

"I didn't know you were into Runes,"

Henry arched an eyebrow, "of course you wouldn't, we haven't talked in months."

"It's not necessary for us to talk for me to know what you're up to,"

Henry narrowed his eyes, not sure if he liked what Rosier was saying "are you implying you're stalking me?"

"We've all got our quirks," Rosier shrugged.

"Shouldn't you be packing for the holidays?" he decided to change the subject, he really didn't want to know what Rosier did in his spare time.

"I'm afraid I'll spend my holidays here at Hogwarts. My parents spend their winters in Germany making it difficult for me to join them,"

Henry cocked his head, Rosier was giving up far more information then normal.

"Is there something you need?" he decided to be blunt about it. He wasn't in the mood to play games.

"Need? No not really. I would however like to make you a proposition,"

That explained it, perhaps Rosier didn't want to say it but he definitely needed him for something.

"And what would this proposition entail?"

"You need to find a way to make up with Tom, I can help you with that,"

"And how would you be able to help me with Tom?"

"I can get Malfoy to like you,"

He looked at Rosier doubtingly.

"Well perhaps not really like you but I can definitely get him to respect you,"

That sounded more likely, Rosier was one of Malfoy's friends. He probably knew how to get his respect.

"And what do you want in exchange?" of course he would want something. You couldn't expect to get anything for free in Slytherin.

"I may need your help to pass my transfiguration exam," Rosier mumbled, clearly ashamed to come to him for help.

"Deal," he said. There was no point in thinking it over, he needed to get back on Tom's good side and Rosier did need all the help he could get to pass transfiguration.

Rosier held out his hand, "I've never properly introduced myself. The name's Evan, Evan Rosier."

Henry shook it and smirked, "Henry Potter, at your service."

The next day Evan came to his table carrying a stack of books.

"We'll start with these,"

"_Important Bristish Families, Etiquette for Beginners, Traditions of the Wizarding World_. What kind of books are these?"

"These are the books that will get you to fit in," Evan said.

"How are books supposed to change anything? I'll still be a halfblood,"

Evan frowned, "You don't get it, do you? It's never been about your blood."

"I guess I don't, no. Perhaps you could explain it to me?" he was trying his hardest not to get angry at him.

"You've been flaunting your muggle heritage ever since you arrived at Hogwarts. It's not only disrespectful but insulting as well," Evan explained.

The confusion must have shown on his face because Evan continued, "things are done differently in the magical world."

"But we're doing the best we can in classes..."

"It's not about Hogwarts classes or how much the Professors adore you. The Wizarding world is build on traditions, for centuries we've lived our lives without muggle interference. We have our own way of life and yet you've never bothered to learn anything about it," Evan cut in before he could say anything else.

Could the reason be so simple? Maybe Evan was right, he had no idea the Wizarding world was so different from the muggle one. They had thought the only difference was the magic one could use and the other couldn't.

"And these books will help me understand?"

"It's a start. Other children have been learning these things for years, it will take time before you manage to catch up."

Henry nodded, he would do whatever was necessary.

"Of course getting Malfoy to respect you will be harder. The Malfoy family are sticklers for tradition,"

"What will it take?"

"It will take time but you're lucky it's Yule soon. We'll find a suitable gift to present him with as a start,"

"Yule?"

"The holidays. This is a prime example of your ignorance. We celebrate Winter solstice and Yule during the holidays," Evan sneered.

Henry felt stupid, no wonder other students looked down on him when he mentioned Christmas. None of the textbooks they used in class mentioned any of these things.

"It's no use feeling sorry for yourself. We'll just work hard and make a Slytherin out of you yet,"

Henry tentatively smiled at Evan, grateful he now at least knew why their house didn't like them.


	7. Abandoned: Part Two

Chapter Six

_**Abandoned: Part Two**_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry Potter universe. Everything you recognise belongs to J.K. Rowling.

**A/N**: My apologies for the long wait and the length, or lack, of this chapter. The next chapter should be better again and shouldn't take too long to write.

* * *

_December, 1938._

"Why isn't it working?" Evan said, frustrated because of another failure.

Henry looked at the match lying on the table. The colour had definitely changed but Evan hadn't been able to transfigure it into the required needle yet. They had been working at it for days now. While some of the harder transfigurations were not a problem at all for Evan, some of the simpler ones seemed out of his reach.

Every morning Evan and he would meet up in the library to either work on Evan's transfiguration skills or on what Evan had dubbed 'Wizarding Culture Class'. It was the first and last time Henry would ever let Evan name something. Henry didn't think anyone could be more unimaginative than Evan when it came to names.

"Maybe you're not concentrated enough,"

"Of course I'm concentrated, it just won't work!" he huffed.

"Well what are you thinking about when you try the transfiguration?"

"I'm thinking the bloody match needs to turn into a needle of course,"

"Al right, but why does it need to turn into a needle?"

"I don't know, because I need to pass the exam?"

"You're lacking the willpower to pull the transfiguration off correctly. You need to think of a better reason why you need the match to become a needle,"

"Why would I need a needle?" Evan asked confusedly.

Henry shrugged, "I usually think of something I need to sew when doing the transfiguration."

Evan blinked, "why would you want to sew anything? We have house elves to do things like that."

"Not everyone grew up owning house elves, Evan. Some of us had to take care of their own clothes," he sighed. Sometimes the differences in their upbringing were so obvious.

"Didn't you have any muggles to do it for you?"

"Not really, the orphanage hasn't been receiving much funding the last couple of years. Let's give it another try, and this time try to think of a better reason," he knew Evan didn't mean anything with the questions.

He had quickly noticed that while Evan was always asking questions he didn't mean to insult him. He was just curious about him and his life before Hogwarts. Besides Henry admitted he did the exact same thing.

A couple of tries later it seemed Evan finally got the hang of it, "well it's not perfect yet but at least it's starting to look like a needle."

Henry nodded, while it still looked more like a match instead of a needle it was definitely an improvement.

"Have you thought of a suitable Yule gift for Malfoy yet?" Evan asked him while putting away his transfiguration textbook.

"I think so yes," at first he had been worried he wouldn't be able to think of anything he could give the rich Heir. Evan had assured him Yule wasn't about the value of the gifts though but rather about the meaning behind them.

"What is it then?"

"It's not done yet but I figured I could make him something instead of buying a pre-made one," he answered while taking the item out of his bag.

It was a simple box made to hold quills, but Henry was determined to make it into something beautiful. He had started carving several runes onto the top lid, around it snakes and other small animals were carved with as much attention to detail as possible. He still had to add several of the animals and find varnish somewhere but Henry was sure it would be stunning.

"This is beautiful. You're doing it yourself?" Evan inspected the small box.

Henry nodded, happy Evan agreed with his choice of gift. It hadn't been easy to make, it had taken him several days before he got the hang of carving symbols into wood. Luckily Hogwarts had many supplies nobody used any more lying around, "I still want to add some peacocks, I know they're on the Malfoys house crest."

"How did you know Malfoy wanted something to hold his quills?"

"I heard him complain about the mess quills made in his bag during one of the classes, it's not like I don't pay attention to the other students. Do you think he'll like it?"

Evan nodded, "Even if he doesn't his manners won't allow him to ignore it, but I'm sure he'll genuinely appreciate it."

-R-

"Why don't they just teach these things at Hogwarts?" Henry asked angrily.

"What do you mean?"

"All these different traditions the Wizarding world has. How are muggleborns supposed to know all these things?"

"There used to be a class about it,"

"But not any more?"

Evan shook his head.

"Do you know why?"

Evan shrugged, "it's complicated. The official reason was that it was no longer necessary since the mudbloods would learn it sooner or later from their classmates."

"But that wasn't the real reason, right?"

If Evan hadn't needed help to pass transfiguration he would have never learned these things. He was sure many of the muggleborns in other houses never heard of this.

"Of course not, it's all about politics. Mugglelovers have steadily been gaining more ground over the past decades in the political scene, abolishing whatever rules they feel get in the way integration," Evan growled.

"Integration with what?"

"Not with what, but with whom. They believe muggles are our equals, that mudbloods shouldn't adjust to our traditions but that the Wizarding folk are the ones that should change." It was obviously a touchy subject for Evan to talk about.

Henry frowned, he wasn't sure what to think of it but he knew one thing, "but they're not our equals, they can't do anything like us."

Evan snorted, "of course they aren't, that's just what the booldtraitors want you to think."

* * *

Several days later Henry's present for Malfoy was finally finished. Professor Slughorn had acquired some varnish for him after he explained the reason he needed it. Slughorn had been delighted with his idea to send Malfoy a present and had assured him the varnish would last for years.

While Malfoy's present was the largest one, he had managed to acquired several smaller ones for the other first year Slytherins. Henry figured giving all of them a small gift would show he felt apologetic for his earlier behaviour. Finding all the gifts hadn't been easy but he was sure nobody would notice them missing from the supplies room.

All that was left now was for Henry to take everything to the Owlery. Evan had assured him the owls would know where to go once he said the receiver's name. Henry wondered how it was possible for the owls to know, Evan wasn't sure either but told him it was a secret amongst breeders.

After long deliberation Henry had decided to add Tom's name to the cards which accompanied the gifts. He still felt angry at Tom for his earlier behaviour but the reason why he was doing this in the first place was because he wanted to make up again. He didn't feel like making things worse which was why he was currently looking for Tom.

He didn't know how Tom would react to the news, he wondered if Tom would even talk to him. The past two months had been a silent battle of wills, both too stubborn to admit they were wrong. While it had been difficult for him at first, Evan's company had made it considerably easier. He wasn't sure yet if he considered Evan a friend but he was well on his way to becoming one.

He found Tom sitting on one of the couches in the common room, near the large fireplace. He looked up from his book, only to look down again once he realised it was him. Henry sighed, this wasn't going to be easy.

"How have you been?" he asked.

Tom didn't even bother looking up from the book he was reading and continued to ignore him.

"Do you have any plans for Yule?" he tried again.

Tom blinked. At least he managed to get some sort of response...

"What are you talking about?"

"It's Yule tomorrow..."

"Are you talking about Christmas?" Tom obviously had no idea what he was talking about.

"They don't celebrate Christmas in the Wizarding world, they call it Yule." he answered excitedly, it was almost as if their quarrel had never happened.

He told Tom everything he knew about Yule and the other things Evan had told him about. For now Tom seemed more interested in hearing his stories instead of ignoring him, or even worse starting another argument.

"How do you know all this?" Tom asked him once he finished telling him about the Wizarding class that used to be taught at Hogwarts.

"Evan told me. Apparently children start learning this from a young age in the Wizarding world,"

"Evan as in Evan Rosier?" Tom asked flabbergasted. It seemed he hadn't noticed he had been meeting Evan for the past two weeks.

Henry nodded, "we've been meeting every day in the library. I help him with his transfiguration and he teaches me about Wizarding culture and traditions. You should join us sometime."

"I don't need any help," Tom frowned.

Henry shrugged, "it can be beneficial. Evan is from an important family, and he did help me find a suitable gift for Malfoy."

"You got Malfoy a gift?"

"Of course, I have gifts for all Slytherin first years. It's tradition to give a present for Yule as a show of respect,"

"And you think a gift will help you get into Malfoy's good graces?"

"Well no... not really but it's a start. It shows we acknowledge our wrong doings and our willingness to learn about the Wizarding world as a whole, not just the spells," at least that's what Evan had told him. He hoped Evan wasn't lying to him when told him because if he was he would look like a complete fool. Not that things could get much worse, but still he didn't want to feel like an idiot.

"We? I don't have any gifts and I doubt I can still find any before tomorrow,"

"I took the liberty to add your name next to mine," he grinned.

Tom looked shocked, evidently not expecting him to have done so. "Thank you," Tom muttered while looking away.

"You're welcome. Of course if this does end up badly we'll both take the fall for it," he grinned.

"I doubt that will happen though," he quickly added when he saw Tom's face darken.

"If it does, you'll be the one to explain to everyone how this was your idea and not mine."

Henry nodded, it was his idea in the first place.

"When did you want to owl them?" Tom asked.

He shrugged "I was thinking of owling them tonight or tomorrow morning."

"You said Yule was tomorrow right? We should probably owl them tonight, that way they should arrive in time."

"You're going to help me?" he asked.

Perhaps Tom wasn't as angry any more, he certainly didn't seem so at the moment. He wondered if perhaps he wasn't the only one who had suffered from their argument. It hadn't been easy for him the past couple of months maybe it had been the same for Tom.

"I think I can spare some time after dinner."

-R-

Tying the gifts to the owls had been a bit of a hassle but in the end they had managed by working together. Henry received the task of holding the owls while Tom got the easy job of tying the packages to their legs. Henry hissed in pain, gingerly touching one of the wounds. He was sure Tom had known about the nasty creatures and their sharp beaks after he saw him smirking at his misfortune.

At least Yule made it somewhat better. There weren't many students or professors who stayed during the winter holidays but for those that did Yule meant a day of celebrations. Henry had decided to sleep late for once to enjoy the holiday to it's fullest. He had given Tom and Evan their gifts when they had woken up, both seemed thankful with the scarves he had made for them, even though winter was already halfway through.

He had decorated the simple green scarves with several small snakes and the Slytherin housecrest. They weren't very different from the standard scarves which came with their uniforms except for the little details he had added. It wasn't anything special but he hadn't had a lot of time.

Evan had given him a new set of expensive looking quills. It became clear that some quills were more costly than others for a reason after he tried one of the quills Evan had given him. Henry decided not to use the quills too often but to save them for exams and other special occasions. He guessed he would have to create another box to hold quills, but this time for himself.

During the day both Tom and he received several owls with small gifts tied to their legs from the other first years. It seemed Evan hadn't been lying when he said their housemates would appreciate a Yule gift. The gifts included several kinds of Wizarding sweets, such as chocolate frogs, but also a new pair of gloves and even some potion ingredients.

Even Malfoy had send them two old books. It was quickly decided Tom would get the book on Wizarding families and he would keep the book on Ancient Runes. According to Evan both books, while not exactly rare, couldn't be found in most book stores any more because of their old age. Henry felt hopeful this meant Malfoy didn't hold any grudges against him any more, of course he didn't think they could ever be more than just acquaintances but that wasn't necessary.

The only one who hadn't given him anything was Tom, but he didn't blame him. He didn't expect Tom to get him anything in less than a day. No, Henry told himself it really didn't matter. At least Tom was talking to him again, what more could he want for?

* * *

After Yule life at Hogwarts continued as usual except for a few small differences. Tom's birthday had passed in silence as always, Tom never wanted to be reminded of the day and so nothing was said and no gifts were given.

When the students returned to Hogwarts after the holidays Henry noticed the subtle difference immediately. While the Slytherin first years didn't welcome them with open arms they weren't as cold any more. The whispers and comments behind their backs lessened to a bearable level. Henry was sure they still talked about them when they couldn't hear it and he could still feel their eyes on him, but their stares were more evaluating now instead of outright loathing.

Henry wasn't bothered by it any more, knowing it would only get easier. He still met with Evan and continued to study about the Wizarding world. Tom hadn't joined them yet for one of their sessions but Henry knew he read the books on his own. He couldn't blame Tom for not joining them, knowing Tom didn't like admitting someone else knew better.

It wasn't long before the end of the year drew closer. Henry wasn't too worried about the exams, while he wasn't the best in every subject he wasn't the worst either. He knew Charms, History and Transfiguration wouldn't be a problem. Potions and Herbology were his worst subjects but he had never failed any of the tests during class. No, Henry wasn't worried at all but that didn't mean he was looking forward to it. Exams meant summer was approaching and they would have to go back to the orphanage.

Even though the start had been difficult Henry enjoyed living at Hogwarts. He and Tom had fought but they had made up their differences in the end and he had met Evan because of the argument. All in all he was glad to be at Hogwarts, away from the depressing orphanage and the disgusting muggles who could never understand them. Henry wondered how the muggles would react once they were back, perhaps they would have to show them their place again. He grinned, almost hoping one of the muggles would give him an excuse to lash out and vent his frustrations.

"Do you mind if I join you?" a young female voice asked, startling him out of his musings.

Henry looked up to see the Prince girl standing in front of the table Evan and he were using for their study session. He hadn't talked to the girl often, he remembered her name was Eileen but that was about it. She slept in a dorm with the other three girls sorted into Slytherin, they usually stayed together making it hard for Henry to talk to her.

He looked at Evan to see his reaction but only received a shrug in reply. It seemed it was up to him to decide whether she was welcome.

"What can you offer?" he asked her, he never was one for subtlety.

"I heard you need help when it comes to potions," apparently she wasn't one for subtlety either.

"I'm not that bad at potions," he tried defending himself.

"You're barely passing and it will only get harder next year,"

Henry frowned, why did she have to sound like Tom? He knew he wasn't the best when it came to brewing potions but he didn't think he was horrible.

"Fine, what do you want in return?" he knew she was here for a reason. Slytherins didn't help others because they felt like being nice, they always expected something in return.

"Charms, I know you're the best in our year."

"Fine, we'll give it a try." Charms for potions seemed fair enough, he enjoyed talking about charms any way so it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to explain it to someone else.

Prince nodded, "when are you available?"

"Evan and I usually meet after classes. You can either join us or we can meet after dinner,"

"I'll join you and Rosier, starting tomorrow," Eileen said before turning around. "Be sure to bring your potions textbook with you, we won't be needing anything else the first days."

Henry groaned, not sure if he had done the right thing. At least she would be joining them in the library, leaving his time after dinner free to spend with Tom. Next to him Evan chuckled.

-R-

In the end Henry was glad Eileen had decided to join them at the library. While she was a strict teacher, she knew an awful lot about potions and explained everything to him in detail. Henry was confident he would easily pass the exam, perhaps not with the best grades but he had definitely improved.

Eileen sometimes even helped Evan explain about the Wizarding world While she didn't know as much as Evan about the most important Pureblood families she did know a lot about etiquette. Apparently not everything was the same for women. Henry had no idea why he would need to know these things but didn't feel like arguing with her. Eileen was scary enough when she wasn't angry, he had no intention to find out how much worse she could get.

It wasn't long before it was the end of their first year and it was time to go back to the orphanage. Slytherin had managed to win the House Cup for another year but the feast didn't bring much joy.

Henry wouldn't be able to write Evan or even Eileen during the summer because muggles would notice the owls. But while Henry would certainly miss talking to Evan worse was the fact that they weren't allowed to do any magic during the summer. Once registered as a wizard or witch the Ministry kept tabs on all under-age students which meant they wouldn't be able to really defend themselves if things went badly.

The train ride back to London passed in silence, neither looking forward to go back at all. They met Martha at King's Cross to take them back to their temporary home. At the orphanage not much seemed to have changed during the year; according to Martha some new children arrived and other lefts. Nothing unusual.

-R-

They spend their summer in their room, re-reading their textbooks until they were allowed to visit Diagon Alley to buy new ones. The other children left them alone most of the time, but Henry wasn't going to take any risks looking for trouble. With no way to defend themselves except their fists, it wouldn't take long for the other children to notice the lack of odd incidents.

It was a boring summer that seemed to last forever. The arrival of their supply list for their second year the only relief. With no supervisor around they spend a day exploring Diagon Alley and the many shops they hadn't been able to enter during their first visit.

They found the entrance to Knockturn Alley during their visit but decided not to enter it yet, they weren't scared but a lack of funds and time made it impossible.

In the end Henry and Tom had never been happier when it was finally time to return to Hogwarts and begin their second year in Slytherin.


End file.
